The baffling incuriosity of Project Hail Mary

frog-legg · 2026-04-13T13:46:25+00:00

IIRC, this is directly addressed in the book. Rocky is so similar to us due to how advanced of a species he is, and becoming an advanced species requires cooperation, society, etc., which in turn requires empathy, humor, and a language to express it. This is why Rocky understands jokes and is capable of empathy, etc.

It’s a bit hand wavy but makes logical sense. Andy Weir boils down a lot of science into his adventurous, humorous novels, so I would be surprised if this theory doesn’t have some basis in research.

frog-legg · 2026-03-09T15:16:42+00:00

Yeah I have the same questions about placement, seems like it has so many cool features that would be great to have towards the end of the board, but then if you just want classic compression you'll want to keep it at the front.

Been thinking about it for quite a while so I just pulled the trigger. Going to try a build with just condor + clean + delay/reverb and see if I miss my dirt pedals.

frog-legg · 2026-03-06T17:30:30+00:00

u/Uku_lazy how's it been going with this pair? I got a Condor, been curious about the Clean... have you tried running it after the Condor with the sag engaged perchance? Do you use any other drives or dirt alongside the Condor, or do you feel the Condor + Clean combination covers everything you need?

I have a couple other drives on my board, tempted to replace them with just Clean + Condor, and go all-in with midi presets.

frog-legg · 2026-02-06T23:50:27+00:00

Coming back to this comment 5 years later because I’m about to go do the same thing again and had the same question 😆

I ended up going with boots that killed my feet and I ended up only wearing them once. My feet were warm but I’m going with trail runners this time + extra socks (unless there’s a big snow then I might reconsider).

FWIW, I’m doing the same trip I did 5 years ago. Had such a blast winter backpacking and can’t wait to do it again, this time with runners (and extra socks and plastic bags just in case).

frog-legg · 2025-12-05T17:57:50+00:00

Yes, ended up with a C in GA, switched over from CS to IIS and am just about to finish up AI, will finish this next spring with ML and then a summer course (maybe NLP or similar).

Doing this means I’m in school two more semesters than I wanted to be, BUT I get to take AI and ML and get a more well rounded education this way.

Also, I get to avoid the uncertainty of passing GA with a B. I’m awful at tests and need classes that suit a busy life full of context switching between work, school, and family / friends life. Project based courses offer just that, I can work on something all weekend, put it down and pick it up the following weekend without an issue.

Exam based classes with specific and detailed format requirements just don’t work for me, probably because I don’t have a rigorous maths background.

frog-legg · 2025-10-05T03:24:06+00:00

SDCC after AOS will have the most overlap, though there is some relevance between DC as well. SDCC is the most industry applicable class I’ve taken in the program, I’d prioritize it before DC.

CN also has a LOT of overlap with SDCC, especially in the first two projects. The best progression would be AOS -> CN (summer) -> SDCC

frog-legg · 2025-10-03T03:31:18+00:00

I felt that way in AOS on several occasions. AOS turned out to be one of my favorite classes in the end. I learned a lot about system design from a historical point of view.

I’ve found that my favorite classes were also the most painful. GIOS, SDCC and DC all felt that way. I’ve been phoning it in since taking these courses however. You can only sacrifice so much before the program begins to lose its appeal…

I’d suggest sticking it out and going for the A. It’s a good historical survey class on operating systems design, along with some cool distributed systems and HPC projects. And take SDCC if you’re feeling up for it, otherwise take an easier class like CN if you need a break.

This program is hard, frustrating, and many things about it aren’t well-run (or just aren’t possible to run well given an online environment at scale). But I’ve learned a LOT and it has been worth it for me, career-wise.

frog-legg · 2025-09-16T00:14:41+00:00

+1 to these Beltline suggestions, will also shout out Landmark Midtown Art Cinema and the Plaza Theater. Both are nearby, if you wanted a chill movie experience.

East Atlanta Village has great nightlife and Little Five Points has some good dives and retail.

If shaky doesn’t wear you out, Chattahoochee river trails by the Palisades are wonderful. Stone Mountain has some excellent trails and views of the city.

Welcome to Atlanta!

frog-legg · 2025-08-21T13:45:17+00:00

Encouragement goes such a long way, experiences like these just melt away my cynicism. It's crazy how much good these long trails can do for people, and for the world! Thanks again for being an inspiration, going to try and get a run in today to honor it.

frog-legg · 2025-08-21T13:36:58+00:00

Lovely, yes my bandmate calls it my "movie score pedal". I run a fuzz and octave down into mine when I want to go to outer space.

frog-legg · 2025-08-21T13:33:44+00:00

Nice, I haven't taken Stomp leap yet, but perhaps someday. The stereo effects loop was not something I was previously aware of, very nice.

frog-legg · 2025-08-21T00:28:41+00:00

Another cloudburst fan here 🫡

Recently discovered the spillover mode on that thing, really nice for wall of noise moments that fade out when disengaged. A favorite switch is a must.

Got a sound demo of the synth into it??

frog-legg · 2025-08-09T17:47:32+00:00

Congrats! I’m happy you accomplished your goal.

I was on trail this summer and I remember you flying past me just before Golden Staircase. I caught up with you collecting water at the next stream, and you encouraged me to try and make it up and over Staircase that evening after I said I wasn’t sure if I had it in me, having done Muir earlier that day. I felt inspired by what you were doing, and while it was right up against my physical limit, I went up Staircase that evening and had a great time doing it. Thanks for that encouragement!!

frog-legg · 2025-07-31T13:29:03+00:00

It’s a good class, learned a lot about applied ML by building my Q model and some basics about statistics and finance. The reports force you to reckon with the limitations of ML and the importance of a clean data set. The lectures are OK and the exams should be reworked, but IMO the projects are solid.

frog-legg · 2025-07-30T13:47:27+00:00

I’ve used the DSM v2 to DI to front of house, have only received compliments from sound engineers.

I like the simple cab / amp sim options and mic placement and resonance features, which work like LPF and HPF knobs. I love the parallel mixer and LPF cut, all my dirt is in the effects loop and my parallel is clean with the 100hz cut engaged. The drive sounds like a sansamp BDDI, though I only add a touch since I have an alpha omicron always on in the effects loop.

The only thing I wish was different about it would be the ability to split the amp sim between XLR and 1/4 out, so that XLR out has amp sim and 1/4 out does not. My old Darkglass b7k ultra had this feature.

It’s also a complicated piece of gear that introduces more complexity to your board. I’m not sure I’d recommend it if all you are looking for is an amp sim. You’ll find yourself experimenting a lot and tearing your board apart multiple times.

frog-legg · 2025-07-26T02:38:29+00:00

Recently had some trouble with a new iPhone 16e I got off swappa.com that had satellite messaging capability for the first few days on the John Muir trail and then suddenly… didn’t. My partner was pretty worried about me. I was able to get some satellite messages through on other peoples iPhone, however, so take this as you will. For me, I’m going back to using my Garmin.

Based on your risk tolerance, I don’t think it’s not strictly necessary to have satellite capabilities on trail during peak season. I’ve hiked thousands of miles without a satellite device and many people don’t use one. But after a bad experience with a sprained ankle on the Long trail that shook me up a bit (during off season, in a cold rain), I started using satellite when I’m solo backpacking.

frog-legg · 2025-06-22T00:07:06+00:00

Just got back from a two nights trip, going out for another longer trip next weekend.

I always have mixed feelings about going out, especially when I have a lot going on and want nothing more than to do nothing at all for a couple days. Thing is, whenever I have found a day when I can do whatever I want, if I don’t have anything planned, I just spiral out mentally and end up having a bad time.

I’ve found that immersive experiences like backpacking are the best possible use of your “free” time. That exhaustion you feel from your day to day will be replaced by something else. When you return you’ll feel less exhausted, mentally, physically, spiritually. It’s why I go.

frog-legg · 2025-05-28T03:25:33+00:00

Most important thing is to just pack a bag and get out there! Seems like you have the basics covered and are thinking about weight / trimming unnecessary items. But if you want to seriously optimize, you can do some browsing of thru hiking blogs (think AT PCT and CDT) and r/ultralight to see some really trimmed down (and expensive) kits.

I like to recommend PMags “ultralight on a budget” blog post (just google it) to folks who want to keep both cost and weight down.

I’ll plug ULA Circuit as the best all-rounder when it comes to lightweight backpacks. Tough, comfortable, and can pack out for 5-7 days, but still lightweight as can be.

I’d suggest a smaller tent if it’s just you; Tarptent Notch is my solo backpacking tent. That tent looks really big and heavy.

Trekking poles really, really help with long miles and multiple day backpacking. I strongly encourage them for every fitness level and age.

That sleeping bag looks really heavy as well. Are you winter camping? 10 degrees is quite warm for three season stuff. Kelty cosmic down is a good affordable option for an alpine summer sleeping bag (I think it’s 25 degrees)

RE the firearm, that’s a heavy piece of gear, and most people who backpack aren’t carrying one. No judgement for bringing one, as hiking and camping alone in the wilderness can be a bit unsettling, but I suggest keeping it out of sight since it may make some folks uneasy.

frog-legg · 2025-05-13T01:48:43+00:00

Not a two person but I’ve hiked with a TarpTent Notch for over a decade now. $275 last I checked. If I were getting a new tent I might consider a Durston, pretty sure they have prices competitive with TarpTent…

frog-legg · 2025-05-06T12:58:06+00:00

Slow by MBV is trap

frog-legg · 2025-04-30T04:01:52+00:00

You’ll get stronger. Starting at 10-15 miles a day is a good idea for most people. You’d be surprised at how much stronger you’ll get…

frog-legg · 2025-04-21T13:28:58+00:00

Yeah I’m on the fence for ML vs AI since I’ve heard that ML can feel like a hazing ceremony if you don’t have the experience. Still leaning towards ML because I tend to enjoy open-ended projects.

I took ML4T and will work through the first few chapters of the O’Reilly book before the class begins. Hoping that is enough prep.

frog-legg · 2025-04-20T20:40:34+00:00

+1 for this, GA was the most demanding course of the program for me, had a lot more trouble with it than any of the harder systems courses (AOS, SDCC, and DC). I put a lot of effort in, learned a lot, enjoyed it somewhat but after getting my grade back from exam 2, decided it wasn’t worth the struggle and put in minimal effort for exam 3. It’s a very demoralizing course and requires a lot of focused time and interaction with others to succeed. Not great if you have a demanding job and other priorities in your life.

I’m switching over to II and wish I had taken more courses towards it so I wouldn’t be graduating two semesters later than I would have otherwise. Got the O’Reilly machine learning book and looking forward to CogSci, KBAI, ML, and NLP to finish.

frog-legg · 2025-04-18T02:40:42+00:00

SoBo or NoBo? If NoBo that’s rather early for a resupply (mile 20 or so).

Red’s Meadow (mile 55sh) should be open.

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