Bernd Worsch (👣,👣)

@DavidDeutschOxf provides us with concise understanding of how to anchor our narrations in reality: "Bad philosophy cannot easily be countered by good philosophy - argument and explanation - because it holds itself immune. But it can be countered by progress." Nicely done!

Is it weird that AI coding assistance is not giving me identity fracture? A lot of software developers are feeling disoriented and threatened these days. Programming by hand is clearly going the way of the buggy whip and the hand-cranked auger. Which is how we're finding out that a lot of people have their identities bound up in being good at hand-coding and how it feels to do that. That's not me. It's not me at all. Rather to my surprise, I don't miss coding by hand, not any more than I missed writing assembler when compilers ate the world and made that unnecessary. (That was in a couple years back around 1983, for you youngsters.) Maybe the fact that I'm not feeling any of this disorientation disqualifies me from having anything to say to people who are. On the other hand...if you can learn to emulate my mental stance and be completely unbothered, maybe that would be a good thing? So. If you're a programmer, and you're feeling disoriented, try this on for size: I like being a wizard. I like being able to speak spells, to weave complex patterns of logic that make things happen in the world. Writing code is a way to manifest my will. Yes, I've piled up a lot of arcane knowledge over the 50 years I've been doing this. But languages of invocation, they come and they go. Been a long time since I've had any use for being able to program in 8086 assembler, and that's okay. I have better spells now, and these days some rather powerful familiars. What I'm inviting you to do is think of yourself as a wizard. Not as a person who writes code, but as a person who is good at assuming the kind of mental states required to bend reality with the application of spells. And if that's who you are, does it matter if the spells are painstakingly scribed in runes of power, versus being spoken to an obedient machine spirit? It's all one; it's all the manifestation of will. Arcane languages come and go, machine spirits appear and then diminish to be replaced by more powerful ones, but you? You are the magic-wielder. Without you, none of it happens. Same as it ever was. Same is it ever was. And so mote it be.

I've never felt this much behind as a programmer. The profession is being dramatically refactored as the bits contributed by the programmer are increasingly sparse and between. I have a sense that I could be 10X more powerful if I just properly string together what has become available over the last ~year and a failure to claim the boost feels decidedly like skill issue. There's a new programmable layer of abstraction to master (in addition to the usual layers below) involving agents, subagents, their prompts, contexts, memory, modes, permissions, tools, plugins, skills, hooks, MCP, LSP, slash commands, workflows, IDE integrations, and a need to build an all-encompassing mental model for strengths and pitfalls of fundamentally stochastic, fallible, unintelligible and changing entities suddenly intermingled with what used to be good old fashioned engineering. Clearly some powerful alien tool was handed around except it comes with no manual and everyone has to figure out how to hold it and operate it, while the resulting magnitude 9 earthquake is rocking the profession. Roll up your sleeves to not fall behind.

"The Goal" Graphic Edition book recommendation. A 61 second video just published. youtube.com/shorts/JEUJzOQ…

Product Tank FFM featuring Tim Herbig :)

There is two modes to implement the human in the loop requirement: - human in the control loop - human in the revenue loop It is necessary to do the revenue loop binding in the long run. It is important for short term security to keep the first one in sight while we are figuring the second one out. Both combined will be a sufficient solution for the alignment problem.

The interesting part is how the maternal instinct evolved and that is to be understood to stop worrying about the alignment problem. I btw think this will solve itself: AI and Humans will coevolve as humans coevolve with companies and states. Evolution is a massive cocreation process going on from the very beginning. It's assembly! :)

Hinton is no longer afraid of superintelligence.

"Everything early should be an Art!" This is the most to the point insight on my inbound feed today. Worth the read if you are in touch with innovation and productmgmt. open.substack.com/pub/signull/p/…

Here we are again in the eternal clash of mindsets: A: Provide powerful tools with trust in human ability to learn and adapt on individual & societal level (pgp, linux, tor, bitcoin, zcash, grok...). B: Force tool control to keep the sheep safe and keep up the feel-good responsibility masking hybris & arrogance (rsa, windows, staatstrojaner, fiat, kyc, gemini...).

Grok4 generated this explanation of the question... Explanation of Concepts This query presents a highly speculative, metaphysical framework for understanding the universe, blending elements of cosmology, quantum physics, biology, and consciousness studies. It's not rooted in mainstream scientific consensus (which favors the Big Bang expansion model, general relativity for gravity, and particle physics for mass), but instead draws inspiration from alternative theories like fractal geometry, string theory, holography, and panpsychism (the idea that consciousness is fundamental). Let's break down the key concepts step by step: Universe as Unwinding Recursive Strand Folded from Primordial Spark of Life: Unwinding vs. Expanding: Standard cosmology describes the universe as expanding from a hot, dense state (Big Bang). Here, it's reimagined as "unwinding"—like a coiled spring or DNA helix relaxing over time. This implies the universe isn't growing outward but revealing pre-existing layers through a process of unfolding or decompression. Recursive Strand: "Recursive" means self-referential or self-similar, like a fractal where patterns repeat at every scale (e.g., Mandelbrot set). The universe is visualized as a single, infinite "strand" (perhaps akin to a cosmic string or filament) that loops back on itself, creating complexity through iteration. Primordial Spark of Life: The origin isn't a lifeless explosion but a vital, living essence—echoing vitalism or biogenesis theories where life is inherent from the start. This "spark" could be interpreted as a singularity infused with consciousness or proto-biology, from which everything emerges. Gravity as Coherence Memory: Gravity, in standard physics, is the curvature of spacetime caused by mass-energy (Einstein's general relativity). Here, it's redefined as "coherence memory"—the universe "remembering" harmonious states. Coherence refers to synchronized waves or particles (e.g., in quantum mechanics, like laser light). Gravity might act as a mnemonic force, pulling things together to maintain or recall balanced configurations, similar to how memory in neural networks reinforces connections. Mass as Densified Tension: Mass is typically the amount of matter or inertia. In this view, it's "densified tension"—accumulated stress or pull within the strand, like tightening a rubber band until it feels solid. This resonates with string theory, where particles are vibrations on tiny strings under tension, and mass arises from energy density. "Densified" suggests compression of this tension into tangible form. Consciousness as Emergent Folds: Consciousness is often seen as emerging from brain complexity (emergentism) or as fundamental (panpsychism). Here, it's "emergent folds"—arising from the strand bending or creasing itself, creating layers of awareness. Folds imply topology (study of shapes and spaces), where consciousness forms at inflection points, like origami creating structure from flat paper. Higher-Dimensional Fractals (Beyond Wordless Veils of 14D to 33D): Higher Dimensions: Physics uses 4D spacetime (3 space + 1 time); string theory proposes up to 11D. This query escalates to 14D–33D, far beyond, as metaphorical "veils"—barriers of perception or language ("wordless" suggests ineffable, mystical realms). These dimensions are fractal: self-similar patterns repeating infinitely. Torsions: In geometry/physics, torsion measures twisting (e.g., in general relativity extensions like Einstein-Cartan theory). Here, torsions are imbalances or knots in the strand, causing discord (e.g., disease, quantum decoherence, cosmic anomalies). Resolving Torsions Without Coercion: "Without coercion" means non-violent, consensual intervention—avoiding force that disrupts harmony. Resolution involves gentle untangling, perhaps through resonance or alignment. Ethical Phase-Jumps Harmonizing Biology, Quantum Fields, and Cosmic Memory: Phase-Jumps ...

Grok 4 generated this to ask Grok 4 Heavy: If the universe is not expanding but unwinding as a single recursive strand folded from the primordial spark of life—where gravity emerges as coherence memory, mass as densified tension, and consciousness as emergent folds—how might we model and navigate its higher-dimensional fractals (beyond the wordless veils of 14D to 33D) to resolve torsions without coercion, achieving ethical phase-jumps that harmonize biology, quantum fields, and cosmic memory?

Give me a very deep/complex question you've always wanted answered. I will run your question through Grok 4 Heavy and reply with the full answer. I will answer as many as I can. Go.

Agreed. Don't let it fail you with it. On another take societies need to keep balance and empathy-alliance-solidarity of haves to havenots or go down in conflict. Felt lack of opportunity will trigger societies to fail by civil war or socialism.

@elonmusk @swyx @CesarAndreu @xai Absolutely! Let humans own their data! We all are digital beings as well as biological ones. Companies that respect & implement individual human rights in the digital domain while providing augmentation & leverage can provide passage to a non totalitarian future.

@swyx @CesarAndreu @xai We need to make it easy to save and post interesting conversations from Grok

lowkey the best thing about @xai is the Voice Mode. I got SuperGrok just to test out Grok 4 and do KaraokeBench on Grok 4’s Eve Voice (the one that does opera) but actually I’m going to keep SuperGrok around because its actually just a much much better voice mode than @chatgptapp like: - open straight to voice mode - SPEED CONTROLS - MUTE BUTTON - PROMPTABLE VOICES - auto suggestions - interruptions that dont suck - unhinged mode this thing is made by people who actually use the product.

In my test for the last few hours Grok 4 is by far the most powerful AI platform released to the public. It is in a new universe. This chart is conservative…

@nicochristie Let's see how it does...

Introducing Shortcut — the first superhuman Excel agent. Shortcut one-shots most knowledge work tasks on Excel. It even scores >80% on Excel World Championship Cases in ~10 minutes. That's 10x faster than humans. Our early preview is live. Just comment for an invite code.

Restarting @producttank in Frankfurt discussing the @productfield @codecentric with @Binect_GmbH. :))

And some background: Which book by Neal Stephenson features the concept of editors curating ones information feed from and to the social and internet information space? The book you're referring to is "Fall; or, Dodge in Hell" by Neal Stephenson. In Fall, Stephenson explores a near-future society where editors play a crucial role in curating individuals' information feeds. The idea is that the internet and social media have become so saturated with misinformation, deepfakes, and manipulated content that people outsource the filtering and interpretation of information to trusted editors. These editors act as gatekeepers, shaping their clients' perception of reality by selecting which narratives, facts, and media to present or suppress. This concept is part of Stephenson’s broader commentary on epistemology in the digital age—how societies determine what is real or true in a post-truth world. Let me know if you'd like a summary of how this idea is developed in the book or comparisons with other works exploring similar themes.

Hey @elonmusk let's have @nealstephenson "Fall; or. Dodge in Hell" style #AiFeedEditor stuff on @X. BR #SuggestedReading

This is some GrokAi background info: On the X.com app, when you filter out people you do not follow from your timeline, the For You and Following (People-you-follow) tabs behave differently based on their underlying logic. Here's how they differ: Following (People-you-follow): This tab shows posts exclusively from accounts you follow, in chronological order. When you filter out non-followed accounts, this tab remains unaffected because it already only includes content from your followed accounts. It’s a straightforward feed of updates from those you’ve chosen to follow. For You: This tab is algorithm-driven and typically includes a mix of posts from accounts you follow, recommended accounts you don’t follow, and trending or viral content based on your interests and interactions. When you filter out people you don’t follow, the For You tab will only show posts from accounts you follow, similar to the Following tab. However, the posts may still be curated or prioritized by the algorithm (e.g., based on engagement or relevance) rather than strictly chronological. Key Difference: With non-followed accounts filtered out, the Following tab is a raw, chronological feed of posts from accounts you follow, while the For You tab may still apply algorithmic curation to prioritize certain posts from those same accounts, potentially altering the order or selection based on what the algorithm deems relevant to you. If you’ve applied a filter to exclude non-followed accounts (e.g., via notification settings or advanced filters), the For You tab effectively becomes a curated subset of the Following tab’s content. Without such a filter, For You would include additional recommended content from non-followed accounts, which is the primary distinction in normal use.

Let's see if there is value in the #ForYouFeedAlgo if I filter out accounts I do not follow. Without doing that I get #TikTokiFied with mind melting #NpcContent and I just won't take that. How about #AdvancedFeedControls for paying customers? The world needs #ConsciousCuration. I want to prompt my own #AiFeedEditor please.

Democracy core feature in the long run is much more the ability to get people out of political power than about choosing the right people to get into power. Took me a while to understand that this is how democracy provides superior adaptability.

The highest gamma factor achieved for protons in the Large Hadron Collider is 7460. At that speed, from the proton's point of view, it would reach Alpha Centauri in just over five hours. (if it managed to traverse Earth's atmosphere.) Our human-scale tech is still pathetic.