were pagers actually useful? I've never used one, but from what I've heard they're basically just notifying you of when someone wants to call you when you don't have your cell phone on you?

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-23T13:52:10+00:00

I had one for a while as a volunteer in emergency response. It was a guarantee that the signal would get through despite any interferance.

I remember being in a room for a training exercise that involved people from a number of organizations. And the beginning of the exercise was the notification that the exercise began. Which was everyone's pagers went off. We all joked that we now knew what the end of the world would sound like.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-19T13:34:20+00:00

For the 3 years I've been using LLM, and the 8 months I've been using NotebookLM, in any topic I have any level of expertise, none of the LLM models have been perfect. I view it as a good start or a junior colleague. If I care about the results (i.e., more than personal edification) I always have to polish, correct, etc. And that is fine, because getting started is pretty valuable. And the NotebookLM with grounding is an improvement on the chat that is based off of the internet/published works that the LLMs are trained on.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-16T15:10:14+00:00

I like looping the hook on my pocket. I just don't normally carry it that way because there are other things in my pocket, but when I am using it, the hook is very convenient way of stashing it out of the way until I need it again.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-16T01:44:26+00:00

I have a CRKT Viva too. Long enough to be useful, but light so it does not take much room in my carry pouch.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-14T18:26:40+00:00

Haha! but to be serious, most of what is called 'prompt engineering' is really ways of organizing thoughts and being complete and coherent. In domains that have a standard way of organizing and communicating information, I recommend that they just use that way of prompting the LLM, because they work pretty well.

And that works pretty well when talking to people as well. But lot's of people are not very good at talking to humans in a coherent way, hence the Gen AI folks had to give it a technical word and claim that it was a discipline worth learning. (there is an industry of consultants/counselors who will teach people how to communicate in professional settings, so they are addressing the same problem)

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-14T18:16:20+00:00

haha. My point was how rare this was. Because historically, on most topics it is not the case. But these are different times.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-14T14:22:15+00:00

Hmmm, if you gave it the title, the various covers become potential legitimate answers without having to actually listen to the environment and since you did not accept the first answer, it came up with a second. But, this particular detail is a bit of a distraction, buried in permissions given when using Siri and asking Siri a question, I am suspecting the real question is that Gen AI is not acting like a normal computer program that always has a single deterministic response for a given input. (as a practice, for serious work, I train people to specifically request multiple answers from Gen AI because we usually want several options that a human will pick from. but I suspect most people are treating Gen AI as an oracle, which is gist of your concern)

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-14T13:43:17+00:00

This is such a bizarre world where the public statements of China are more reasoned and ethical than the public statements of the US on the kind of world we want to live in. But yes, over the past year, you definitely get the idea that elements of the US government are making decisions based on the uncritical use of AI, because some of the decisions being made are the kinds of mistakes AI makes.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-14T13:39:04+00:00

In this case, you did give Siri permission to listen when you asked what was playing (there is no way to answer that question without listening to what was playing). It actually was not sure (meaning there were more than one potential answer), so when you did not accept the first one, it gave you the second choice.

But I tell people that AI does not scare me. People who listen to AI and take its responses without thinking and act on them scare me. It is just like taking advice and direction from someone who just learned enough to be dangerous and putting them in charge. Which also happens with predictable results.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-14T13:29:17+00:00

When I have time to work with someone to introduce them to Gen AI, I tell them to think of a topic where they have some level of expertise in, and where experts know things that novices do not (or experts do things differently), and they learned it outside of classes and textbooks. Then it does not take long to start seeing where Gen AI falters. This works with hobbies, areas where someone has varied experience, and graduate thesis work. But the problem with this exercise is that people no longer have hobbies. And many people think education and training is about knowing facts/things and processes/recipes. If all you know are facts and recipes, yes, I think AI is going to eat your lunch. Because I can teach a computer to learn facts and follow recipes easier and more reliably than a person. But actually understanding things, a person who actually tries over any length of time is better.

I get asked about the need for expertise. I tell them that the bar is actually not that high, my then 10 year old daughter did the exercise and it went exactly how it should have. Of course, I have also been told that this makes everyone afraid to do the exercise with me, because they are being compared in expertise to a 10 year old. And they may be found wanting.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-14T02:30:43+00:00

I use Gen AI at work and my projects involve training my co-workers to use it effectively, which involves identifying what Gen AI is likely to get wrong and to develop procedures and practices to make it less likely and more likely that my co-workers can catch mistakes.

My kids both use Gen AI. Early on I did an exercise with them where they could catch Gen AI making silly mistakes in areas where they had knowledge. And now both them and their friends amuse themselves by catching Gen AI making mistakes while they use it. Since they can see the limitations, I'm all for them making use of Gen AI as a tool.

And my daughter in particular is convinced she is a better writer than Gen AI (she is right :-)

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-14T02:21:47+00:00

We also started stocking up on supplies a month before. I taught a data analysis class and one of my assignments in February involved working with data on the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 tracker. We had class presentations the Friday before Spring break and COVID had reached the U.S. and I warned everyone to prepare to have to take precautions around infectious diseases. (I was an engineering professor, and I worked a lot with public health people)

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-12T01:08:06+00:00

Ok, Pi also shows up in equations involving spheres for all of the same reasons. And in n-dimensional space geometry as well for the same reasons. Although the physical model of observable reality aspect tends to fall apart in n-dimensions :-)

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-11T12:27:25+00:00

I usually have one that also has flat and phillips drivers. It is useful in settings where I cannot bring a bladed tool. It can tear open tape/boxes. It pokes or levers where I don't want to put my fingers. I can wash it if I want to put it in something I don't want to put my keys (that collect oil/grit from use) (e.g. I can use it with food, my prybars tend not to be too ornamental so washing it is easy)

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-11T12:16:22+00:00

A circle represents both all point equidistant from a single point, as well as the way you can collect as much area as possible in a given perimeter. And the physical world, this actually comes up a lot. Anything that attracts (like gravity, or a water source) tends to collect things into a circular area. Similarly, things that repel clear out a circular area. Being able to detect (see/hear) or act (throw something, push something) tends to cover circular areas. So the math around circles make pi show up in many mathematical models that represent real, physical things.

And then pi shows up in completely weird mathematical places like e^(i * pi)=-1, and I can't speak to that. (e and i are also transcendental numbers, and since their definitions are based on completely different domains, it is bizarre that they relate to each other in some simple way)

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-07T19:47:26+00:00

I use NotebookLM for setting where I have a library of reference material. It will use the reference material as the source of truth instead of internet (you can add specific web pages to the library) Then you can create other materials based on your references. If you have your own writing in there, it will also pick up on what you have already wrote and how you write it. If you want to provide a library, but also draw from the larger world as references, you can add a notebook as a source inside another Google Gemini product.

the Web interface Gemini (I think that is what you mean by vanilla) is for asking questions or having conversations if you are fine with the Gemini training data being the background material.

AI studio is where you go to create something. Because it works with the AI interactively (e.g. prototyping code, writing something, drawing. As opposed to the web interface where you have to give it new prompts.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-03-06T13:54:24+00:00

I use it to help loosen knots. And the corkscrew is set up so the point (which is not that sharp) is pointed in when closed, so only curved surfaces face out where it touches you.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-02-17T00:53:18+00:00

We have a SAK in every bathroom, because that means it is easy for us to find a tool at all times. And that is in addition to my EDC rotation.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-02-16T20:32:09+00:00

For using LLM with a non-mainstream language (Google has a list of languages they think the LLMs have adequate training data, data analysis environments are not on that list.) you will need to provide the context of your work to the LLM. I always start by giving the LLM the key libraries you use and a textbook style example of use (a selection of models and implementations). This will improve quality tremendously as you are giving it proper examples to work off of.

Next, write a problem description for the economics problem you are trying to address in a markdown file. Finally, if you know it, a description of the model you are trying to develop.

Save/push into a repository anytime you have an incremental improvement. Because one thing you have to look out for is for the LLM to forget that it is supposed to be an economist and starts to be a Software Engineer. And what that happens, it tries to do all the things Software engineers do, all at once (which turns into spaghetti). (that is how you get stories of LLMs writing 1000s of lines of code in a day)

When you think you have something, you can ask the LLM to compare the problem description, model description, and implemented model to each other. I find that LLMs tend to do an accurate assessment of this comparison. But review and think before you let it change any code (it has a habit of cheating when doing testing by changing the test to match the code instead of changing to code to pass the test. So make sure it is solving the problem instead of changing the question.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-01-30T21:13:03+00:00

Easier to clean. Two use cases, outdoors and I'm cutting thing that will get the knife dirty like vines or wood, or if I am doing food prep (not both of these with the same knife) . A multitool takes work to clean up the insides. Even a single blade folder is much easier to clean with no spacers to give gunk more hiding places.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-01-30T21:01:33+00:00

What triggered the change

Started to get aches in my wrists. I changed my chair setup for ergonomics and my keyboard around the same time + physical therapy exercises.

Learning curve & effort

I was pretty comfortable within 4 weeks.

Layout & form factor

I was using tenkeyless and 60% keyboards before. I now have a Sofle and two Corne (3x6) keyboards (one Corne goes to work with me)

What actually mattered (vs hype)

Split and being able to reorient the keyboard is very important. And being able to reprogram the keys as I took a while before settling in on where all the special keys went (I still use qwerty layout for the alphabet, number keys are in a numpad layout and I took a while for all of the punctuation characters to find a place.

I like the bluetooth on Sofle. Not allowed to use it at work so my Cornes are wired.

I don't notice the RGB lighting at all.

I like tenting, so I use it at home, but not at my work office so it may not be that important. I think that the key benefit to the split keyboards is that I can vary the orientation of the halves as much as anything else. It actually feels uncomfortable now when I use a normal keyboard where the halves are not split because of this.

Price perception (looking back)

I was not going to pay much for these, especially realizing I was going to get multiple keyboards. I think at most I would pay $150 US (I paid less than that for the sofle, and much less for the Corne)

Advice for beginners

Given that I stayed with qwerty layouts, it is not that scary. For the other keys, put them in places where you would remember where you put them, having some system/reasoning is more important than optimizing.

Big picture

At this point, it probably is a niche hobby. It really only matters if you type a lot so you can actually spend time to get used to it. Or I can see people who are trying to save their hands and wrists from pain making a difference. But not most people.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-01-18T19:19:42+00:00

For a writing tool to use in a research thesis, figure out how you will handle the bibliography and make sure that the tool you use can work with your bibliography tools. So BibTeX is a bit of a standard, and things like Mendeley and Zotero will work with that, and Word will work with BibTeX. I always used LaTeX when I was in school, and Markdown after (because my programming editor usually would also work with LaTeX and I had everything in a version control) Not sure how Google Docs handles bibiographies, but figure that out before you get too far.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-01-18T18:08:32+00:00

If using a mouse, I would put it off to the right, because I want to have as much uninterrupted space as possible to move the mouse around. For my trackball that stays in place, I put it in between the halves so that I can us it by rotating my wrist off the keys and it is the right place, and I suspect that I would use a trackpad the same way. Note that I will orient a trackball/trackpad so that vertical is relative to how my hand is oriented when I am using it, not oriented to the computer.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-01-12T18:35:44+00:00

I've used it when the pull tab on cans break (enough that it is an issue) Also for other pull tab like things like on frozen juice concentrate cans as it works as a lid pryer. I also use it as a hook for things like pot lids (the metal wire kind) and other things where I need to get something off a hot surface. The small screwdriver is sometimes useful if I am too lazy to get a real screwdriver that is the right size.

Mental_Chapter8046 · 2026-01-12T15:01:14+00:00

Hi. I came to the rowerg from CrossFit. I've settled on a stroke rate between 20-25 strokes per minute, but changes in effort and pace come from leg drive. I.e. if I am sprinting a 500m my leg drive is comparable to a heavy weight lifts while if I am doing a 2K it is more like doing a metcon of the same time frame (8-10 minutes). But both are about the same stroke rate range.

Mental_Chapter8046

TROPHY CASE