All too accurate
Hahaha! A pretty accurate simulation of walking in Europe during any of the summer tourist months. It’s no wonder they’re having anti-tourist protests. I’d hate to live with this constantly…
85% of Japanese game developers use generative AI
Automation reports that the Japan’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) released a preview of this year’s CESA Video Game Industry Report at Tokyo Game Show 2026 (which the organization runs). Among various insights into the domestic game industry, the report found that 85.8% of Japanese game developers now use generative AI in their work – up from 51% last year. Among them, 63% of developers said they use it on a daily basis, while the remaining 22.8% use it occasionally (via Denfaminicogamer).
Game development, specifically game artists, are one of the few computer fields in which workers are pushing back on AI the hardest. I think they’re largely fighting a losing battle using arguments based on how AI used to be trained and worked.
The sad reality is that almost anyone that is keeping up with how just amazingly fast AI is developing in all areas, the arguments may be completely moot in 12 months. If the last 12 months were any example, the next 12 will bring us AI models that will be able to generate art, music, and whole games better than people can make.
Cat makes grand entrance into most tragic scene of Romeo and Juliet
Amazing number of airline bombing failures
People often scoff at the ‘security theater’ that goes on at airports – but the truth is far more crazy than anyone imagined and should make everyone realize just what was going on in those difficult years after 9/11. I had no idea just how active terrorist had become.
The reality is there’s an amazing story that connected a bunch of the most high profile airline bombing attempts like the shoe bomber and others like him to one single bomb maker that got terrifyingly close to downing numerous planes. He even got his bombs right next to high-ranking officials and onto planes almost a dozen times. His devices passed numerous security screenings and one was hidden so well that a bomb team even disassembled a device containing one – and still put it back on the plane because they didn’t find it.
Almost all of his bombs made it through screening and the people carrying them passed individual interrogations and high scrutiny. The only reason these bombs failed was because of the most crazy circumstances. The only people that died were the actual bomb carriers – including one carried by his own brother.
Despite all the efforts, it was coincidences that largely saved everyone involved. In my own life, when that many coincidences line up – it usually points to a more divine cause. I think it’s also a cautionary tale about the dangers of dedicating your life to hating and killing others. In just about the most clear demonstration in human history, those that hated others enough to commit violence ended up only destroying themselves.
It’s an amazing story that is definitely worth a listen.
DLSS 5 goes off the rails in GTA 5
Users modded DLSS 5 to run before image upscaling instead of after. When pausing the game, the AI filter got stuck in a continuous processing feedback loop.
AI in mathematics
The goal of mathematics has always been about human understanding of the ideas. When a mathematician solves a problem then they can explain to others the new concepts that lead them to this discovery, this proof, and how they came about it.
This is a great application of the study of epistemology – the philosophical discussion of knowing and understanding. It seeks to define the key points required to say we actually know something. In the case of this video – he is describing some of the things he believes are core principles of saying you actually understand a mathematical statement. This is a whole field of understanding and study – and one that I think is really coming to the forefront with the advent of AI.
This isn’t new, since 2010 there have been systems that can mathematically describe phenomenon. The Eureka machine was one of them that brought up this very same question over a decade ago.
The question soon becomes: computers can generate models for us that describe phenomenon; but to say we really know something as humans – we seem to desire more. We want to understand the underlying principles and even purpose. While physical sciences have increasingly stick to answering the ‘what’ without answering purpose/intent/meaning – we absolutely rely on that when deciding the guilt/innocence of human behavior.
Gen Z is one of the most religious of all generations
Gen Z is not supposed to be the religious generation. Pollsters have spent two decades describing this cohort as the most secular in American history, the one that would finally break the chain of belief passed down from their grandparents.
New Harris Poll data suggests otherwise: 33% of Gen Z identifies as religious, compared with 18% of Boomers, 22% of Gen X and 19% of Millennials—making Gen Z the most religious-identifying generation in the survey. Their “neither religious nor spiritual” rate, 19%, is the lowest of any generation measured, lower than Boomers at 23%.
Terminator for real
Figure AI just told one of it’s robots to jump into a vat of molten steel – and it did so.
We’re getting closer and closer to real life Terminator every day…
Drift
Studio DRIFT has made some really cool installations and interactive sculptures that combine things in the natural world with technology. I enjoyed the idea of their Murmuring Minds installation which consists of a bunch of small rectangular boxes that flock around a person walking through them (I think it would be even cooler if they were perfect cubes – and perhaps were more active. Like if they were trying to herd YOU to a corner, or if they worked like a random person in a grid of o.
Github cofounder’s fight with cancer
Sid Sijbrandij is a co-founder of Github – he’s also battling cancer. He was diagnosed and went through a standard round of treatment in 2022 that appeared successful. Unfortunately, it came back in 2024 and he was told he had exhausted the standard of care and there were currently no trials.
In facing this information, he said “Assumptions might, quite literally, kill me”. He went back to his roots and engaged what he calls ‘founder mode’.
“Founder Mode meant going deep on every diagnostic and treatment option. It meant assembling a team of physicians and scientists to work from first principles to understand what was possible beyond standard protocols.”
He became directly involved in his care by putting together a organization of doctors and advisors from all over the world. He and his team compile detailed entries for every medical interaction or meeting with a cancer researcher or oncology company they take. The document has grown to over 1,000 pages for just 2025.
Since standard care was exhausted, he set out to create what he called a ‘therapeutic ladder’ of possible treatments. Some rungs on this ladder are existing medicines that could potentially be repurposed from other cancers based on information gained from diagnostics. Others are individualized therapies designed in collaboration with researchers or companies specifically for Sid.
Did it work?
While not considered a cure, as of 2026 Sid’s cancer has been in remission for 18 months.
What did he learn?
A lot. He learned you can also navigate a world-wide health system – not just the US one. Some of the lessons were absolutely fascinating, and worth a read here.
I found the article a great read because I felt, and acted, very similarly when cancer entered my (and several friend’s) lives. I have a huge file of what I learned and was ready to go anywhere I needed to seek treatment. I continue to keep getting 2nd and 3rd opinions and keeping in touch with cancer centers in case it comes back. Diseases like cancer can’t be considered ‘one and done’. You never know when they might come back; so be ready and live the best life you can with the time you have.