Bryan Pickel
@bryanpickel.bsky.social
"Yeah, but what is truth? If you follow me." -- Lionel Hutz
November 19, 2025 at 7:09 PM
"Yeah, but what is truth? If you follow me." -- Lionel Hutz
One way for Labour to improve their polling position and display their moderation might be for them to reintroduce the long parliament's ban on Christmas, imposing fines for Christmas celebrations.
November 18, 2025 at 4:42 PM
One way for Labour to improve their polling position and display their moderation might be for them to reintroduce the long parliament's ban on Christmas, imposing fines for Christmas celebrations.
My paper "Conceptual Engineering as Inquiry" with Derek Ball came out recently. It argues for a conclusion about CE that some may find *surprising*. (link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...)
Conceptual Engineering as Inquiry
This paper defends what we call the Straightforward View of conceptual engineering. Canonical examples of conceptual engineering are simply cases in which a proposition is endorsed or denied at one ti...
link.springer.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:37 AM
My paper "Conceptual Engineering as Inquiry" with Derek Ball came out recently. It argues for a conclusion about CE that some may find *surprising*. (link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...)
I saw this plaque outside the library on a recent trip to Southampton.
November 17, 2025 at 10:23 AM
I saw this plaque outside the library on a recent trip to Southampton.
We have finally learned what Meatloaf would not do for love.
November 14, 2025 at 6:36 PM
We have finally learned what Meatloaf would not do for love.
I am totally here for this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxTg...
Snocaps - "Coast"
YouTube video by ANTI- Records
www.youtube.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:52 AM
I am totally here for this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxTg...
My Compositionality entry is out at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: plato.stanford.edu/entries/comp...
Compositionality (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
plato.stanford.edu
November 4, 2025 at 12:15 PM
My Compositionality entry is out at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: plato.stanford.edu/entries/comp...
Guys repairing the roof in the office above me are listening to "Golden" from Kpop Demon Hunters at top volume.
November 3, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Guys repairing the roof in the office above me are listening to "Golden" from Kpop Demon Hunters at top volume.
If a major studio were to release an AI generated animated movie, would it be copyright infringement for animators to re-draw it scene by scene with small changes and for voice actors to voice it and release it as their own work?
October 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM
If a major studio were to release an AI generated animated movie, would it be copyright infringement for animators to re-draw it scene by scene with small changes and for voice actors to voice it and release it as their own work?
I woke up at the same time this morning (in Scotland), looked out the window, and had an urge to play this song www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAEp.... Hello Darkness, my old friend indeed.
Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence (from The Concert in Central Park)
YouTube video by SimonGarfunkelVEVO
www.youtube.com
October 21, 2025 at 10:05 AM
I woke up at the same time this morning (in Scotland), looked out the window, and had an urge to play this song www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAEp.... Hello Darkness, my old friend indeed.
One way to frame this is that Caldwell is proposing that the military should be an experiment in social engineering (so as to exclude people) and then writing as if that's what his opponents want to do.
the chris caldwell of 1948 would have been arguing against desegregation of the armed forces www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...
Opinion | That Hegseth Speech Was Actually Pretty Good
www.nytimes.com
October 8, 2025 at 10:45 AM
One way to frame this is that Caldwell is proposing that the military should be an experiment in social engineering (so as to exclude people) and then writing as if that's what his opponents want to do.
Another use for LLMs/AIs: rather than go to the beach, and have to bring a suit and towel, and come home all sandy, you could have the AIs fabricate photos of you going to the beach, not look at them, have the AI post them on social media, and let LLMs write comments (that you don't read).
October 7, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Another use for LLMs/AIs: rather than go to the beach, and have to bring a suit and towel, and come home all sandy, you could have the AIs fabricate photos of you going to the beach, not look at them, have the AI post them on social media, and let LLMs write comments (that you don't read).
Another use for LLMs, rather than solve a conflict with another person by discussion and compromise, you could have the LLMs propose a solution and then ignore it.
October 6, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Another use for LLMs, rather than solve a conflict with another person by discussion and compromise, you could have the LLMs propose a solution and then ignore it.
I was about to do a task but was temporarily distracted by another task. In the interim, the first task was resolved on its own. Hurray for structured procrastination!
October 2, 2025 at 2:49 PM
I was about to do a task but was temporarily distracted by another task. In the interim, the first task was resolved on its own. Hurray for structured procrastination!
Defend Bryans/Brians/Brayans: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/w...
A President’s Remarks Harshly Single Out Men With a Particular Name
www.nytimes.com
September 30, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Defend Bryans/Brians/Brayans: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/w...
It really hit me that I'm not in Scotland when it started drizzling and everyone started ducking into shops and protected places.
September 10, 2025 at 2:36 PM
It really hit me that I'm not in Scotland when it started drizzling and everyone started ducking into shops and protected places.
My most anti-immigration opinion is that any company over a certain size that wants to hire immigrants should be required to have a recognised union.
August 29, 2025 at 12:17 PM
My most anti-immigration opinion is that any company over a certain size that wants to hire immigrants should be required to have a recognised union.
Can one felicitously say, "What Sam told me surprised me. I didn't think we were that close."?
August 26, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Can one felicitously say, "What Sam told me surprised me. I didn't think we were that close."?
Is there any interesting literature on the difference between audience and addressee in pragmatics?
August 2, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Is there any interesting literature on the difference between audience and addressee in pragmatics?
“Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades”. -yeah, well guess which game we’re playing, pal.
July 21, 2025 at 11:57 PM
“Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades”. -yeah, well guess which game we’re playing, pal.
If you’re worried your LLM will hallucinate, why not just put “don’t hallucinate” in the prompt?
July 17, 2025 at 8:29 AM
If you’re worried your LLM will hallucinate, why not just put “don’t hallucinate” in the prompt?
This is quite simply an incredible headline.
July 12, 2025 at 12:51 PM
This is quite simply an incredible headline.
I listened to an interesting interview on Ezra Klein today. He asked what meaning a task can have if an AI could also do it or if it is frictionless. What crystallised is (i) that it is already the case that someone else can do it better and (ii) everything is hard. (1/4)
July 8, 2025 at 10:28 PM
I listened to an interesting interview on Ezra Klein today. He asked what meaning a task can have if an AI could also do it or if it is frictionless. What crystallised is (i) that it is already the case that someone else can do it better and (ii) everything is hard. (1/4)