Alex Wellerstein
@wellerstein.bsky.social
Nuclear historian. Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology. Visiting researcher at Nuclear Knowledges program, Sciences Po (Paris). Author of THE MOST AWFUL RESPONSIBILITY (2025). Creator of NUKEMAP. Blogging at https://doomsdaymachines.net.
They also rob one of the experience of being a programmer.
I am not opposed to using AI to write well-defined functions, anymore than I am opposed to looking them up on Stack Overflow. But, you know, I enjoy the work, right? And the experience I gain from it?
I am not opposed to using AI to write well-defined functions, anymore than I am opposed to looking them up on Stack Overflow. But, you know, I enjoy the work, right? And the experience I gain from it?
February 9, 2026 at 9:36 PM
They also rob one of the experience of being a programmer.
I am not opposed to using AI to write well-defined functions, anymore than I am opposed to looking them up on Stack Overflow. But, you know, I enjoy the work, right? And the experience I gain from it?
I am not opposed to using AI to write well-defined functions, anymore than I am opposed to looking them up on Stack Overflow. But, you know, I enjoy the work, right? And the experience I gain from it?
eeny weeny teeny weeny tiny tacnuke bikini (atoll)
February 9, 2026 at 9:28 PM
eeny weeny teeny weeny tiny tacnuke bikini (atoll)
If I hadn't been writing my own code for the last 10 years I wouldn't be a better programmer than I was 10 years ago. It's also important to me to understand it all on a deep level.
February 9, 2026 at 9:24 PM
If I hadn't been writing my own code for the last 10 years I wouldn't be a better programmer than I was 10 years ago. It's also important to me to understand it all on a deep level.
Also going over this code is so, sooooo painful. I am in the process of re-coding pretty much all of this from scratch, because it turns out that my +10 year old Javascript is really idiotic in places. At least I can say I've learned a lot since I first made it...
February 9, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Also going over this code is so, sooooo painful. I am in the process of re-coding pretty much all of this from scratch, because it turns out that my +10 year old Javascript is really idiotic in places. At least I can say I've learned a lot since I first made it...
He doesn't really specify the time-scale, to be fair...
February 8, 2026 at 9:31 PM
He doesn't really specify the time-scale, to be fair...
DC is routinely seeing people get into accidents right in front of you. DC is seeing people do things in car that seem utterly insane. The Beltway is a mix of bad infrastructure — too many lanes, always shifting — poor decisions, and people trying to drive as fast as possible. Hated it.
February 7, 2026 at 10:24 PM
DC is routinely seeing people get into accidents right in front of you. DC is seeing people do things in car that seem utterly insane. The Beltway is a mix of bad infrastructure — too many lanes, always shifting — poor decisions, and people trying to drive as fast as possible. Hated it.
I've tried to really put my finger on what the issue was. In Boston, the infrastructure is bad and the drivers are jerks. In the Bay Area there are just too many people for the infrastructure. In NYC it is slow with lots of honking and sometimes just stops — frustrating but easy. But DC...
February 7, 2026 at 10:24 PM
I've tried to really put my finger on what the issue was. In Boston, the infrastructure is bad and the drivers are jerks. In the Bay Area there are just too many people for the infrastructure. In NYC it is slow with lots of honking and sometimes just stops — frustrating but easy. But DC...
I have lived and driven in the Bay Area, Boston, NYC/NJ, and DC areas. All are objectively bad driving experiences.
But DC was by FAR the scariest and least predictable. The Beltway can feel like Mad Max.
So, anyway, I find Maryland plausible, is what I am saying.
But DC was by FAR the scariest and least predictable. The Beltway can feel like Mad Max.
So, anyway, I find Maryland plausible, is what I am saying.
February 7, 2026 at 10:24 PM
I have lived and driven in the Bay Area, Boston, NYC/NJ, and DC areas. All are objectively bad driving experiences.
But DC was by FAR the scariest and least predictable. The Beltway can feel like Mad Max.
So, anyway, I find Maryland plausible, is what I am saying.
But DC was by FAR the scariest and least predictable. The Beltway can feel like Mad Max.
So, anyway, I find Maryland plausible, is what I am saying.
I got great tools, I call 'em my eyes
One could imagine exporting the OCR'd text and then looking for duplicates across that, though
One could imagine exporting the OCR'd text and then looking for duplicates across that, though
February 5, 2026 at 3:11 PM
I got great tools, I call 'em my eyes
One could imagine exporting the OCR'd text and then looking for duplicates across that, though
One could imagine exporting the OCR'd text and then looking for duplicates across that, though
February 5, 2026 at 1:48 PM
My favorite thing about Project Pluto was the jaunty little way the H-bombs were going to pop out of the top as it flew by...
February 3, 2026 at 10:06 PM
My favorite thing about Project Pluto was the jaunty little way the H-bombs were going to pop out of the top as it flew by...
More seriously... NEPA, nuclear-powered aircraft, involved seriously high levels of radiation... I think they would have been very curious to know whether the pilots/crew would be able to carry out their missions, follow orders, etc. if something went wrong. bsky.app/profile/atom...
In February 1946, three months before the NEPA program officially started, Scientific American questioned the practicality of nuclear-powered airplanes and cars, noting that the minimum weight of a reactor’s uranium fuel and graphite moderator alone would be close to 20 tons.
February 3, 2026 at 4:24 PM
More seriously... NEPA, nuclear-powered aircraft, involved seriously high levels of radiation... I think they would have been very curious to know whether the pilots/crew would be able to carry out their missions, follow orders, etc. if something went wrong. bsky.app/profile/atom...
"After careful study, we have concluded that telling people they are going to die soon, and then revealing that we had lied to them, should considered what we are proposing be called 'a dick move'"
February 3, 2026 at 4:21 PM
"After careful study, we have concluded that telling people they are going to die soon, and then revealing that we had lied to them, should considered what we are proposing be called 'a dick move'"
Schlongs are funnier than bananas, you are missing out
February 3, 2026 at 8:49 AM
Schlongs are funnier than bananas, you are missing out
I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed.
a woman with short blonde hair is wearing a red shirt and looking at the camera .
ALT: a woman with short blonde hair is wearing a red shirt and looking at the camera .
media.tenor.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:50 PM
I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed.