dachte
@dachte.bsky.social
Interests: Neuroscience, programming, teaching, political theory
Originally Texan, also in love with Pittsburgh. Currently in NYC.
Liberal Technocrat, opposed to a lot of Progressivism.
https://unfocused.substack.com
Originally Texan, also in love with Pittsburgh. Currently in NYC.
Liberal Technocrat, opposed to a lot of Progressivism.
https://unfocused.substack.com
Quiet view of a busy lunchroom
February 3, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Quiet view of a busy lunchroom
Weird idea: "Mean Girls", but it's the US (As Cady), with Russia, Hungary and Israel as the Plastics.
February 3, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Weird idea: "Mean Girls", but it's the US (As Cady), with Russia, Hungary and Israel as the Plastics.
There are times when I wish there were not some part of my brain always thinking there's a nasty surprise right around the corner whenever things are not perfectly still. Sometimes this is career-useful (when I'm wearing my software-infrastructure hat - contingencies and such) but it's stressful.
February 3, 2026 at 3:21 PM
There are times when I wish there were not some part of my brain always thinking there's a nasty surprise right around the corner whenever things are not perfectly still. Sometimes this is career-useful (when I'm wearing my software-infrastructure hat - contingencies and such) but it's stressful.
One of the very few things that get me to use the block button (and also the report interface) is accounts that spam begging. I don't trust that they're real, but even if they are, we can't let the problems of the world let begging overrun conversational forums.
Report and block those without mercy
Report and block those without mercy
February 2, 2026 at 8:45 PM
One of the very few things that get me to use the block button (and also the report interface) is accounts that spam begging. I don't trust that they're real, but even if they are, we can't let the problems of the world let begging overrun conversational forums.
Report and block those without mercy
Report and block those without mercy
A little amused that one of my sisters has such a low opinion of my ability to make a dwelling cozy that she wants to visit my (coming soon) place in Dublin before I get settled in to help figure out what needs to be bought to settle in.
(she's right; I'm not much for comforts)
(she's right; I'm not much for comforts)
February 2, 2026 at 3:07 PM
A little amused that one of my sisters has such a low opinion of my ability to make a dwelling cozy that she wants to visit my (coming soon) place in Dublin before I get settled in to help figure out what needs to be bought to settle in.
(she's right; I'm not much for comforts)
(she's right; I'm not much for comforts)
At times I wish "resist poetry in most domains of life" were not so easy to misunderstand, because poetry is actually pretty great, in the right contexts. But the poetic urge - seeking to express feelings at the cost of meaning - is to be resisted in things requiring reasoning more than expression.
February 1, 2026 at 1:51 AM
At times I wish "resist poetry in most domains of life" were not so easy to misunderstand, because poetry is actually pretty great, in the right contexts. But the poetic urge - seeking to express feelings at the cost of meaning - is to be resisted in things requiring reasoning more than expression.
Landfills are a kind of cathedral to waste - a sign of one of the major failures of modern society that we try not to think about.
January 31, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Landfills are a kind of cathedral to waste - a sign of one of the major failures of modern society that we try not to think about.
In a technical multiple-person argument on github where one of the people is arguing that (my paraphrasing, which I am not sure if fair) traditional security and quality concerns in developing software set too high a bar and not worth the engineering effort.
January 31, 2026 at 2:02 PM
In a technical multiple-person argument on github where one of the people is arguing that (my paraphrasing, which I am not sure if fair) traditional security and quality concerns in developing software set too high a bar and not worth the engineering effort.
The need for structured conversations, not structured by what ideas can be heard, but instead structured by who talks when and how, is an important part of the academic notions of free speech. Content-but-not-medium-neutral restrictions are part of that.
January 30, 2026 at 11:11 PM
The need for structured conversations, not structured by what ideas can be heard, but instead structured by who talks when and how, is an important part of the academic notions of free speech. Content-but-not-medium-neutral restrictions are part of that.
I hope I can find a way to get at least socially hooked up to one of the universities in Dublin; don't want leaving academia to be a complete no-academic-elements-in-my-life thing.
Plus I tend to find other scientists very attractive.
Plus I tend to find other scientists very attractive.
January 30, 2026 at 10:46 PM
I hope I can find a way to get at least socially hooked up to one of the universities in Dublin; don't want leaving academia to be a complete no-academic-elements-in-my-life thing.
Plus I tend to find other scientists very attractive.
Plus I tend to find other scientists very attractive.
I've been giving away a lot of my stuff to coworkers in prep for my move overseas in March, and it feels weirdly good to do so. Made a spreadsheet, let people claim stuff, and I either bring it to the office or they come to my apartment, and poof, another thing gone, to find a new use.
January 30, 2026 at 10:40 PM
I've been giving away a lot of my stuff to coworkers in prep for my move overseas in March, and it feels weirdly good to do so. Made a spreadsheet, let people claim stuff, and I either bring it to the office or they come to my apartment, and poof, another thing gone, to find a new use.
Saw a list of the set of prominent people Bari Weiss is installing into CBS, and I only spotted one of them seems to fit the criteria of being sane, decent, and not peddling something.
I like Coleman Hughes. Have met him a few times, good conversations, don't agree w/ him on everything but good guy
I like Coleman Hughes. Have met him a few times, good conversations, don't agree w/ him on everything but good guy
January 30, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Saw a list of the set of prominent people Bari Weiss is installing into CBS, and I only spotted one of them seems to fit the criteria of being sane, decent, and not peddling something.
I like Coleman Hughes. Have met him a few times, good conversations, don't agree w/ him on everything but good guy
I like Coleman Hughes. Have met him a few times, good conversations, don't agree w/ him on everything but good guy
I am increasingly creeped out at how full and plausible the GenML-generated "suggested replies" to emails are getting.
It doesn't really match the tone or word choice, but the recent suggested replies are something I could send. Not sure I like this.
It doesn't really match the tone or word choice, but the recent suggested replies are something I could send. Not sure I like this.
January 28, 2026 at 7:54 PM
I am increasingly creeped out at how full and plausible the GenML-generated "suggested replies" to emails are getting.
It doesn't really match the tone or word choice, but the recent suggested replies are something I could send. Not sure I like this.
It doesn't really match the tone or word choice, but the recent suggested replies are something I could send. Not sure I like this.
Sooo apparently in the news today, someone attacked Ilhan Omar (no doubt inspired by Trump's anti-Somali bullshit), and some ICE people tried to invade a diplomatic facility of Ecuador in Minneapolis.
Totally normal day.
Totally normal day.
January 28, 2026 at 2:32 AM
Sooo apparently in the news today, someone attacked Ilhan Omar (no doubt inspired by Trump's anti-Somali bullshit), and some ICE people tried to invade a diplomatic facility of Ecuador in Minneapolis.
Totally normal day.
Totally normal day.
Got a fundraising letter from an anti-environmentalist group called the "Pacific Legal Foundation" that seems very excited about two things - using the word "bullies", and logging in protected forests. Ick.
January 28, 2026 at 2:03 AM
Got a fundraising letter from an anti-environmentalist group called the "Pacific Legal Foundation" that seems very excited about two things - using the word "bullies", and logging in protected forests. Ick.
I get crushes once in a blue moon; maybe life would be easier if I got them more often because they'd hit less hard. And I sort-of expected that I'd stop getting them sometime in my 30s, which was not the case (have been single for a long time; when I was not-single it was nice not to get them)
January 27, 2026 at 5:11 PM
I get crushes once in a blue moon; maybe life would be easier if I got them more often because they'd hit less hard. And I sort-of expected that I'd stop getting them sometime in my 30s, which was not the case (have been single for a long time; when I was not-single it was nice not to get them)
There are times when it'd be nice to have a support line for one's own emotions.
Particularly weird when a stressful thing finishing up leads to a little burst of stress. Or when one feels emotional pain welling for no recognisable reason at all. Or ....
Particularly weird when a stressful thing finishing up leads to a little burst of stress. Or when one feels emotional pain welling for no recognisable reason at all. Or ....
January 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM
There are times when it'd be nice to have a support line for one's own emotions.
Particularly weird when a stressful thing finishing up leads to a little burst of stress. Or when one feels emotional pain welling for no recognisable reason at all. Or ....
Particularly weird when a stressful thing finishing up leads to a little burst of stress. Or when one feels emotional pain welling for no recognisable reason at all. Or ....
I don't understand, regarding China's panda diplomacy, how there hasn't been established some kind of a panda breeding programme outside of China.
Surely it's not literally true that China literally has successfully controlled ownership and legalities around every panda.
Surely it's not literally true that China literally has successfully controlled ownership and legalities around every panda.
January 26, 2026 at 1:07 PM
I don't understand, regarding China's panda diplomacy, how there hasn't been established some kind of a panda breeding programme outside of China.
Surely it's not literally true that China literally has successfully controlled ownership and legalities around every panda.
Surely it's not literally true that China literally has successfully controlled ownership and legalities around every panda.
A very specialised infectious disease doctor could be called a Chief of Staph
January 26, 2026 at 12:57 PM
A very specialised infectious disease doctor could be called a Chief of Staph
Feeling strong sympathy with the restaurant I called to ask if my food's still coming (an hour after it's supposed to be here) - they seemed very apologetic that they have very few available drivers. And I try very hard never to be rude to restaurants.
I am still very hungry though.
I am still very hungry though.
January 25, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Feeling strong sympathy with the restaurant I called to ask if my food's still coming (an hour after it's supposed to be here) - they seemed very apologetic that they have very few available drivers. And I try very hard never to be rude to restaurants.
I am still very hungry though.
I am still very hungry though.
Presently not enjoying NYC's weather right now, except that it's pretty.
January 25, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Presently not enjoying NYC's weather right now, except that it's pretty.
The reason I think it's best to require by law they be released, unredacted, is that otherwise they'll never effectively be released by this admin.
I understand the dangers/harms caused by an unredacted release, but I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff for the public interest.
I understand the dangers/harms caused by an unredacted release, but I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff for the public interest.
It has been more than 30 days since the Department of Justice was required by federal law to make all of the Epstein Files public. According to the DOJ’s own estimates, it has released less than 1% so far. The last time the Department of Justice released any documents was Dec. 23, 2025.
The DOJ offers only excuses as the Epstein Files remain secret
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
January 25, 2026 at 5:01 PM
The reason I think it's best to require by law they be released, unredacted, is that otherwise they'll never effectively be released by this admin.
I understand the dangers/harms caused by an unredacted release, but I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff for the public interest.
I understand the dangers/harms caused by an unredacted release, but I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff for the public interest.
Punishment is at times necessary, but the urge to punish is one of the most dangerous personality elements, and the application of punishment in the wrong place or degree can easily become monstrous.
January 24, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Punishment is at times necessary, but the urge to punish is one of the most dangerous personality elements, and the application of punishment in the wrong place or degree can easily become monstrous.
I guess I'm following this account again.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
January 24, 2026 at 8:28 PM
I guess I'm following this account again.
I had thought that maybe the time leading up to my moving out of the US might be quiet and perhaps be an emotionally bumpy time where I'd be asking myself if it's really the right thing to do, rather than the "wow, things are still somehow getting worse" I'm getting.
January 24, 2026 at 5:32 PM
I had thought that maybe the time leading up to my moving out of the US might be quiet and perhaps be an emotionally bumpy time where I'd be asking myself if it's really the right thing to do, rather than the "wow, things are still somehow getting worse" I'm getting.