Brendan Zab
@brendanzab.bsky.social
Thinking about programming languages and imaginary landscapes. he/him
- https://types.pl/@brendan (preferred)
- https://github.com/brendanzab
- https://types.pl/@brendan (preferred)
- https://github.com/brendanzab
Pinned
Reposted by Brendan Zab
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Relying on ChatGPT to teach you about a topic leaves you with shallower knowledge than Googling and reading about it, according to new research that compared what more than 10,000 people knew after using one method or the other.
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
Shared by @gizmodo.com: buff.ly/yAAHtHq
November 21, 2025 at 12:49 PM
It’s widely known (and, I think, pretty uncontroversial) that learning requires effort — specifically, if you don’t have to work at getting the knowledge, it won’t stick.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Even if an LLM could be trusted to give you correct information 100% of the time, it would be an inferior method of learning it.
Reposted by Brendan Zab
procedural environments
November 19, 2025 at 11:28 PM
procedural environments
Reposted by Brendan Zab
rollercoaster tycoon, unfinished build, pc (1996) tcrf.net/File:RCT-Ear...
November 3, 2025 at 11:47 AM
rollercoaster tycoon, unfinished build, pc (1996) tcrf.net/File:RCT-Ear...
Reposted by Brendan Zab
Embrace your shitty MS Paint skills and stop using AI for your placeholders.
October 1, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Embrace your shitty MS Paint skills and stop using AI for your placeholders.
Reposted by Brendan Zab
I looooooove this trend of talking about computers and computing as a cute things. When I was a teenager computers where boys’ stuff and that sucked
August 30, 2025 at 7:30 AM
I looooooove this trend of talking about computers and computing as a cute things. When I was a teenager computers where boys’ stuff and that sucked
Reposted by Brendan Zab
Other work of the Ladybird artists
‘Village in Summer’
Travel poster by artist SR Badmin
‘Village in Summer’
Travel poster by artist SR Badmin
August 7, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Other work of the Ladybird artists
‘Village in Summer’
Travel poster by artist SR Badmin
‘Village in Summer’
Travel poster by artist SR Badmin
Reposted by Brendan Zab
the brain that can see a face in a wall outlet was always doomed to hear the voice of God in a markov chain
July 24, 2025 at 2:05 AM
the brain that can see a face in a wall outlet was always doomed to hear the voice of God in a markov chain
Reposted by Brendan Zab
Newsletter: In a media landscape dominated by algorithmic feeds that aim to manipulate and extract, sometimes the most radical thing you can do is choose to read what you want, when you want, without anyone watching over your shoulder.
Here’s how to use RSS.
www.citationneeded.news/curate-with-...
Here’s how to use RSS.
www.citationneeded.news/curate-with-...
Curate your own newspaper with RSS
Escape newsletter inbox chaos and algorithmic surveillance by building your own enshittification-proof newspaper from the writers you already read
www.citationneeded.news
July 31, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Newsletter: In a media landscape dominated by algorithmic feeds that aim to manipulate and extract, sometimes the most radical thing you can do is choose to read what you want, when you want, without anyone watching over your shoulder.
Here’s how to use RSS.
www.citationneeded.news/curate-with-...
Here’s how to use RSS.
www.citationneeded.news/curate-with-...
Reposted by Brendan Zab
most industries have failed to communicate, especially in light of the USA eviscerating funding, is that science and engineering is not something you can just “discover” and “learn” once but, instead, they require steady application and continuous support over time or else you risk losing it.
I know “rocket science” is literally shorthand for “very difficult task,” but are they trying to rediscover rocketry from first principles or something? how is it this bad?
NEWS 🚨: Australia's historic first-ever orbital rocket crashes after attempting to take off
It lasted about 14 seconds
It lasted about 14 seconds
July 30, 2025 at 6:17 PM
most industries have failed to communicate, especially in light of the USA eviscerating funding, is that science and engineering is not something you can just “discover” and “learn” once but, instead, they require steady application and continuous support over time or else you risk losing it.
Reposted by Brendan Zab
the thing about "move fast and break things" is that not breaking things is often quite a lot faster
July 11, 2025 at 8:09 AM
the thing about "move fast and break things" is that not breaking things is often quite a lot faster
Moss from this morning. Had to rescue some clumps that had been kicked up and flipped upside down!
July 4, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Moss from this morning. Had to rescue some clumps that had been kicked up and flipped upside down!
Reposted by Brendan Zab
It’s a special kind of sadness seeing the entire genre of art made with computers that I have been pursuing since the 70s ruined by AI slop. I have never been less motivated to share new work in my life. 😿
June 27, 2025 at 10:59 AM
It’s a special kind of sadness seeing the entire genre of art made with computers that I have been pursuing since the 70s ruined by AI slop. I have never been less motivated to share new work in my life. 😿
Reposted by Brendan Zab
Reports of things I’d really really like to see in person
June 24, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Reports of things I’d really really like to see in person
Got up early today to look at the moss!
June 21, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Got up early today to look at the moss!
I’ve added an example of recovering from type errors during type checking to my language garden: github.com/brendanzab/l....
Unlike exception-based approaches to type checking, this allows checking to continue after an error has been reported, which is important for real-world implementations.
Unlike exception-based approaches to type checking, this allows checking to continue after an error has been reported, which is important for real-world implementations.
language-garden/elab-stlc-error-recovery at main · brendanzab/language-garden
A garden of small programming language implementations 🪴 - brendanzab/language-garden
github.com
June 17, 2025 at 5:31 AM
I’ve added an example of recovering from type errors during type checking to my language garden: github.com/brendanzab/l....
Unlike exception-based approaches to type checking, this allows checking to continue after an error has been reported, which is important for real-world implementations.
Unlike exception-based approaches to type checking, this allows checking to continue after an error has been reported, which is important for real-world implementations.
Reposted by Brendan Zab
A new blog post on an interactive Datalog in Rust! Early days, but 1. nice and interactive, and 2. not less performant than my prior attempt (datafrog) when you use strings as the literal type (vs u32).
More to come, as it's partially meant as a playground for me.
github.com/frankmcsherr...
More to come, as it's partially meant as a playground for me.
github.com/frankmcsherr...
github.com
June 13, 2025 at 10:11 PM
A new blog post on an interactive Datalog in Rust! Early days, but 1. nice and interactive, and 2. not less performant than my prior attempt (datafrog) when you use strings as the literal type (vs u32).
More to come, as it's partially meant as a playground for me.
github.com/frankmcsherr...
More to come, as it's partially meant as a playground for me.
github.com/frankmcsherr...
Reposted by Brendan Zab
literal dream home
June 3, 2025 at 8:46 AM
literal dream home
Just want to say I’m so incredibly grateful for all the academics writing cool papers, and giving interesting talks and contributing to our shared body of knowledge. Thanks so much, I’ve learned a huge amount from you!
May 31, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Just want to say I’m so incredibly grateful for all the academics writing cool papers, and giving interesting talks and contributing to our shared body of knowledge. Thanks so much, I’ve learned a huge amount from you!
I recently added an extension to my previous implementation of elaboration for higher rank types to my language garden: github.com/brendanzab/l...
This adds support for unification, allowing you to leave off more type annotations and omit explicit type applications. I hope it helps somebody!
This adds support for unification, allowing you to leave off more type annotations and omit explicit type applications. I hope it helps somebody!
language-garden/elab-system-f-unification at main · brendanzab/language-garden
A garden of small programming language implementations 🪴 - brendanzab/language-garden
github.com
May 28, 2025 at 11:03 PM
I recently added an extension to my previous implementation of elaboration for higher rank types to my language garden: github.com/brendanzab/l...
This adds support for unification, allowing you to leave off more type annotations and omit explicit type applications. I hope it helps somebody!
This adds support for unification, allowing you to leave off more type annotations and omit explicit type applications. I hope it helps somebody!
Reposted by Brendan Zab
Actually the best life advice I ever got: Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. A half-cleaned room is better than an uncleaned room. Occasionally flossing is better than never flossing. A 10-minute workout is better than no workout. When it’s all you can do to get out of bed, get out of bed.
May 10, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Actually the best life advice I ever got: Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. A half-cleaned room is better than an uncleaned room. Occasionally flossing is better than never flossing. A 10-minute workout is better than no workout. When it’s all you can do to get out of bed, get out of bed.
Reposted by Brendan Zab
This is why it’s so important for scientists to learn to learn to communicate clearly to the public. Otherwise, your rigorous evidence-backed findings will be indistinguishable from bullshit
People trying to peddle snake oil and bogus science often concoct extravagantly elaborate explanations with obscure references and/or basic details omitted. This is partly to convince you that if you don't understand it, it's because you're insufficiently smart or lack the proper background.
April 12, 2025 at 7:29 AM
This is why it’s so important for scientists to learn to learn to communicate clearly to the public. Otherwise, your rigorous evidence-backed findings will be indistinguishable from bullshit
Some afternoon views from Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Dalesford last weekend.
April 12, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Some afternoon views from Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, Dalesford last weekend.
In the past few days I’ve belatedly come to the realisation that domestic chores are much more fun if I imagine I’m in a studio Ghibli scene.
April 12, 2025 at 8:55 AM
In the past few days I’ve belatedly come to the realisation that domestic chores are much more fun if I imagine I’m in a studio Ghibli scene.
Reposted by Brendan Zab
Happy #autismacceptancemonth !
Here's an old (like 10 years now lol) comic that explains the Autism Spectrum- still much needed, as I continue to see people- and most recently a book read out on bbc radio 4- think you're either 'mildly' or 'severely' autistic. Please give it a read 💖
Here's an old (like 10 years now lol) comic that explains the Autism Spectrum- still much needed, as I continue to see people- and most recently a book read out on bbc radio 4- think you're either 'mildly' or 'severely' autistic. Please give it a read 💖
April 5, 2025 at 10:17 AM
Happy #autismacceptancemonth !
Here's an old (like 10 years now lol) comic that explains the Autism Spectrum- still much needed, as I continue to see people- and most recently a book read out on bbc radio 4- think you're either 'mildly' or 'severely' autistic. Please give it a read 💖
Here's an old (like 10 years now lol) comic that explains the Autism Spectrum- still much needed, as I continue to see people- and most recently a book read out on bbc radio 4- think you're either 'mildly' or 'severely' autistic. Please give it a read 💖
Reposted by Brendan Zab
Neat thing at this conference: a librarian crocheted a scarf based on how many emails they sent in a year -- posted with their permission.
April 4, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Neat thing at this conference: a librarian crocheted a scarf based on how many emails they sent in a year -- posted with their permission.