rob pike
@robpike.io
Long career as a dilettante at Bell Labs Research and Google, mostly building weird stuff no one uses, but occasionally getting it right, such as with UTF-8 and Go.
Pinned
rob pike
@robpike.io
· Jan 19
In 1922 Alfred Stieglitz made a series of photographs of cloudy skies, calling them Equivalents because they matched an emotion or mood he was feeling.
This is my Equivalent for today.
This is my Equivalent for today.
Reposted by rob pike
Hey folks, this is a very cool opportunity for peeps to do an amazing postdoc in Sydney, Australia in translational vision research.
We’re hiring! Join the Sivyer Lab at The University of Sydney as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Neurodegeneration within the Snow Vision Accelerator, a $50M initiative tackling glaucoma and optic nerve disease. iPSCs, electrophysiology, drug discovery, and gene therapy.
November 26, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Hey folks, this is a very cool opportunity for peeps to do an amazing postdoc in Sydney, Australia in translational vision research.
We finally captured the roving trash can.
November 25, 2025 at 11:54 PM
We finally captured the roving trash can.
Reposted by rob pike
The comments are excellent and measured.
The comment thread here is the embodiment of :lolsob:
There is legitimate promise to LLM-assisted coding, but there are also legitimate risks. Like this. And no one here is malicious!
There is legitimate promise to LLM-assisted coding, but there are also legitimate risks. Like this. And no one here is malicious!
One of the many joys of using AI for programming is the creation of huge PRs on complex topics that the authors barely understand, but still suggest "because they work". Here's a great example from #OCaml github.com/ocaml/ocaml/...
Kudos to OCaml's maintainers for handling this so gracefully.
Kudos to OCaml's maintainers for handling this so gracefully.
November 24, 2025 at 11:32 PM
The comments are excellent and measured.
Reposted by rob pike
The comment thread here is the embodiment of :lolsob:
There is legitimate promise to LLM-assisted coding, but there are also legitimate risks. Like this. And no one here is malicious!
There is legitimate promise to LLM-assisted coding, but there are also legitimate risks. Like this. And no one here is malicious!
One of the many joys of using AI for programming is the creation of huge PRs on complex topics that the authors barely understand, but still suggest "because they work". Here's a great example from #OCaml github.com/ocaml/ocaml/...
Kudos to OCaml's maintainers for handling this so gracefully.
Kudos to OCaml's maintainers for handling this so gracefully.
DWARF support for macOS and Linux by joelreymont · Pull Request #14369 · ocaml/ocaml
DWARF v5 Debugging Support for OCaml Native Compiler
This PR adds DWARF v5 debug information to the OCaml native compiler, allowing proper source-level debugging in GDB and LLDB.
What's Impleme...
github.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:25 PM
The comment thread here is the embodiment of :lolsob:
There is legitimate promise to LLM-assisted coding, but there are also legitimate risks. Like this. And no one here is malicious!
There is legitimate promise to LLM-assisted coding, but there are also legitimate risks. Like this. And no one here is malicious!
Reposted by rob pike
'“It’s the most shortsighted lack of investment by a federal government since before the Abbott government. And they were stupid," [a former long-serving researcher at #CSIRO] said.'
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne..., article by @sbasfordcanales.bsky.social and @donnadlu.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne..., article by @sbasfordcanales.bsky.social and @donnadlu.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 8:01 PM
'“It’s the most shortsighted lack of investment by a federal government since before the Abbott government. And they were stupid," [a former long-serving researcher at #CSIRO] said.'
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne..., article by @sbasfordcanales.bsky.social and @donnadlu.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne..., article by @sbasfordcanales.bsky.social and @donnadlu.bsky.social
As I have said to students nowadays, the most important thing one learns in school is how to learn, and using LLMs completely defeats that objective. The process matters.
You don't use a fork lift the gym. The immediate result—weights up in the air—is not always the key reason to do something.
You don't use a fork lift the gym. The immediate result—weights up in the air—is not always the key reason to do something.
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 7:59 PM
As I have said to students nowadays, the most important thing one learns in school is how to learn, and using LLMs completely defeats that objective. The process matters.
You don't use a fork lift the gym. The immediate result—weights up in the air—is not always the key reason to do something.
You don't use a fork lift the gym. The immediate result—weights up in the air—is not always the key reason to do something.
Reposted by rob pike
In August I delivered my traditional Go Cryptography State of the Union talk at @gophercon.com in New York.
It goes into everything at the intersection of Go and cryptography from the last year. (Also, bragging t-shirts!)
Watch the video or read the transcript of my performance review!
It goes into everything at the intersection of Go and cryptography from the last year. (Also, bragging t-shirts!)
Watch the video or read the transcript of my performance review!
The 2025 Go Cryptography State of the Union
I delivered my traditional Go Cryptography State of the Union talk at GopherCon US 2025 in New York. It goes into everything that happened at the intersection of Go and cryptography over the last…
words.filippo.io
November 20, 2025 at 3:57 PM
In August I delivered my traditional Go Cryptography State of the Union talk at @gophercon.com in New York.
It goes into everything at the intersection of Go and cryptography from the last year. (Also, bragging t-shirts!)
Watch the video or read the transcript of my performance review!
It goes into everything at the intersection of Go and cryptography from the last year. (Also, bragging t-shirts!)
Watch the video or read the transcript of my performance review!
Last week we visited the Pooseum in Richmond, Tasmania, where I was lucky to have a rumor I had heard confirmed. The abundance of flies in rural Australia is a result of the local dung beetles not liking livestock poo. But you can order the right dung beetles en masse from CSIRO to help.
November 20, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Last week we visited the Pooseum in Richmond, Tasmania, where I was lucky to have a rumor I had heard confirmed. The abundance of flies in rural Australia is a result of the local dung beetles not liking livestock poo. But you can order the right dung beetles en masse from CSIRO to help.
Reposted by rob pike
Dr. Barr from the TOP FUCKNG ROPE
November 20, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Dr. Barr from the TOP FUCKNG ROPE
Proud of myself. Found a typo in my 4th edition of Allen's Astrophysical Quantities. It lists "Standard acceleration of gravity (exact)" in units of m s⁻¹.
I lead a rich life.
I lead a rich life.
November 20, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Proud of myself. Found a typo in my 4th edition of Allen's Astrophysical Quantities. It lists "Standard acceleration of gravity (exact)" in units of m s⁻¹.
I lead a rich life.
I lead a rich life.
Reposted by rob pike
It's hard to believe this is real, but I think it is.
And most depressingly: Tyler does not say "What the fuck are you even talking about Sam, and why are you in this job?"
And most depressingly: Tyler does not say "What the fuck are you even talking about Sam, and why are you in this job?"
I laughed at loud. These people are so pathetic; our enemies are numbskulls. They will kill us all and still not know hs physics.
COWEN: The stupidest question possible: Why don’t we just make more GPUs?
ALTMAN: Because we need to make more electrons.
conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/sam...
COWEN: The stupidest question possible: Why don’t we just make more GPUs?
ALTMAN: Because we need to make more electrons.
conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/sam...
November 19, 2025 at 9:49 AM
It's hard to believe this is real, but I think it is.
And most depressingly: Tyler does not say "What the fuck are you even talking about Sam, and why are you in this job?"
And most depressingly: Tyler does not say "What the fuck are you even talking about Sam, and why are you in this job?"
Reposted by rob pike
Obituary: George Smoot (1945-2025) Charismatic cosmologist who revealed ripples in the Big Bang’s afterglow
go.nature.com/4pzpLqj
go.nature.com/4pzpLqj
George Smoot obituary: Charismatic cosmologist who revealed ripples in the Big Bang’s afterglow
Nobel laureate who mapped temperature variations in the cosmic microwave background.
go.nature.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Obituary: George Smoot (1945-2025) Charismatic cosmologist who revealed ripples in the Big Bang’s afterglow
go.nature.com/4pzpLqj
go.nature.com/4pzpLqj
Thanks for the memories, Apple Photos!
November 15, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Thanks for the memories, Apple Photos!
Reposted by rob pike
![4-panel vertical comic. (1) 100 Years Ago [two people standing next to bicycle with small car nearby] PERSON 1: It’s too dangerous riding a bike with these cars around. I should get a car, too. (2) 50 Years Ago [two people between smaller car and bigger car] PERSON 2 with short hair: Small cars are less safe in collisions with larger vehicles, so I should get a bigger one. (3) Today [two people between big car and even bigger car] PERSON 1: Everyone has huge SUVs now. If I don’t get the biggest one, I’m putting my family at risk. (4) Soon [two people next to large armored car with spiked clubs attached] PERSON 2: If I don’t install more whirling spike clubs, I’ll be destroyed by all the other drivers who...](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiby6can6k76yzfmv2czxs4pu2l7zie7bqbrpswi7h3ifmiadkuqvu@jpeg)
aurora popping off in hobart tasmania
November 12, 2025 at 11:08 AM
aurora popping off in hobart tasmania
This could come in handy
November 11, 2025 at 12:22 AM
This could come in handy
Reposted by rob pike
We are offering 4 PhD scholarships in #physics and #astronomy topics @sydney.edu.au
Including:
* FRBs with @manishacaleb.bsky.social
* Quantum critical points with @domwilliamson.bsky.social
* Nanostructured materials with @boriskuhlmey.bsky.social
www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...
⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
Including:
* FRBs with @manishacaleb.bsky.social
* Quantum critical points with @domwilliamson.bsky.social
* Nanostructured materials with @boriskuhlmey.bsky.social
www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...
⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
Physics Foundation Scholarship
A stipend scholarship to support PhD students who are undertaking research within School of Physics, Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney.
www.sydney.edu.au
November 10, 2025 at 6:49 PM
We are offering 4 PhD scholarships in #physics and #astronomy topics @sydney.edu.au
Including:
* FRBs with @manishacaleb.bsky.social
* Quantum critical points with @domwilliamson.bsky.social
* Nanostructured materials with @boriskuhlmey.bsky.social
www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...
⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
Including:
* FRBs with @manishacaleb.bsky.social
* Quantum critical points with @domwilliamson.bsky.social
* Nanostructured materials with @boriskuhlmey.bsky.social
www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...
⚛️ 🔭 ☄️ 🧪
Beware. Got pulled aside at the airport because my empty #fountainpen triggered security. It looked exactly like a fountain pen on the x-ray but they were terrified by its threat and needed to see it and disassemble it to be sure it was OK. Security incident barely averted. Sheesh
November 9, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Beware. Got pulled aside at the airport because my empty #fountainpen triggered security. It looked exactly like a fountain pen on the x-ray but they were terrified by its threat and needed to see it and disassemble it to be sure it was OK. Security incident barely averted. Sheesh
Reposted by rob pike
This is your final week to apply for the Professor Harry Messel Research Fellowship. A 3 year position open to women in any area of #Physics or #Astronomy at the University of Sydney @sydney.edu.au
Deadline: 16th November
⚛️ 🔭 ☄️
Deadline: 16th November
⚛️ 🔭 ☄️
Excited to announce that we are advertising the Professor Harry Messel Research Fellowship. A 3 year position open to women in any area of #Physics or #Astronomy at the University of Sydney @sydney.edu.au
Deadline: 16th November
⚛️ 🔭 ☄️
usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/USYD_EXTERNA...
Deadline: 16th November
⚛️ 🔭 ☄️
usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/USYD_EXTERNA...
Professor Harry Messel Research Fellow (Woman only) (PHYSICS)
Full time / Part-time 3 years fixed term, located on the Camperdown Campus at the School of Physics Exciting opportunity to undertake independent research and contribute to the advancement of physics ...
usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:49 PM
This is your final week to apply for the Professor Harry Messel Research Fellowship. A 3 year position open to women in any area of #Physics or #Astronomy at the University of Sydney @sydney.edu.au
Deadline: 16th November
⚛️ 🔭 ☄️
Deadline: 16th November
⚛️ 🔭 ☄️
Reposted by rob pike
here's the process video for the Bub looking at Bub drawing. graphite on vellum.
November 8, 2025 at 2:18 AM
here's the process video for the Bub looking at Bub drawing. graphite on vellum.
Reposted by rob pike
Happy birthday to the only two women with elements named after them on the periodic table: #MarieCurie & #LiseMeitner.
As I do every year, I will once again repeat my proposal that November 7 should be International #WomenInSTEM Day!
#histSTM #chemistry #physics
#OnThisDay #OTD #PeriodicTable👩🔬🗃️📜
As I do every year, I will once again repeat my proposal that November 7 should be International #WomenInSTEM Day!
#histSTM #chemistry #physics
#OnThisDay #OTD #PeriodicTable👩🔬🗃️📜
November 7, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Happy birthday to the only two women with elements named after them on the periodic table: #MarieCurie & #LiseMeitner.
As I do every year, I will once again repeat my proposal that November 7 should be International #WomenInSTEM Day!
#histSTM #chemistry #physics
#OnThisDay #OTD #PeriodicTable👩🔬🗃️📜
As I do every year, I will once again repeat my proposal that November 7 should be International #WomenInSTEM Day!
#histSTM #chemistry #physics
#OnThisDay #OTD #PeriodicTable👩🔬🗃️📜
Reposted by rob pike
What is happening at Goddard is absolutely devastating. We are losing history. We are losing an incredible amount of human talent, skill, and knowledge. Rebuilding it will be impossible same for same. Industry can not absorb the people or the equipment. This is undoing space science in the US.
Goddard spacecraft engineer: "I think it just kind of speaks to the atmosphere of the agency and the nation, where people are like, 'Well, laws don't matter for the people at the top anymore.'"
NASA is sinking its flagship science center during the government shutdown — and may be breaking the law in the process, critics say
"There is just a general acknowledgement that a lot of what is happening is illegal…"
www.space.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:43 PM
What is happening at Goddard is absolutely devastating. We are losing history. We are losing an incredible amount of human talent, skill, and knowledge. Rebuilding it will be impossible same for same. Industry can not absorb the people or the equipment. This is undoing space science in the US.