rob pike
@robpike.io
Long career as a dilettante at Bell Labs Research and Google, mostly building weird stuff no one uses, but occasionally getting it right, such as with UTF-8 and Go.
Pinned
rob pike
@robpike.io
· Jan 19
In 1922 Alfred Stieglitz made a series of photographs of cloudy skies, calling them Equivalents because they matched an emotion or mood he was feeling.
This is my Equivalent for today.
This is my Equivalent for today.
Reposted by rob pike
I am in the market for a PhD student this year. Please don’t use LLM to write your statement of research. Yes it is obvious. I want to know who you are, not how you prompt.
I have some more bad news.
If an admissions committee even suspects you used ChatGPT for your application letter, they'll almost certainly decide not to waste a precious admissions spot on you.
Instead they'll give it to, you know, someone who actually likes to write and knows how to do it.
If an admissions committee even suspects you used ChatGPT for your application letter, they'll almost certainly decide not to waste a precious admissions spot on you.
Instead they'll give it to, you know, someone who actually likes to write and knows how to do it.
I have some bad news. One, if you need to use ChatGPT for your graduate application letter, you are not ready for graduate school.
Two, no, not "everyone is doing it" and those who don't do it aren't "losing out." ChatGPT is not an advantage.
Two, no, not "everyone is doing it" and those who don't do it aren't "losing out." ChatGPT is not an advantage.
January 17, 2026 at 11:40 PM
I am in the market for a PhD student this year. Please don’t use LLM to write your statement of research. Yes it is obvious. I want to know who you are, not how you prompt.
Reposted by rob pike
The only good thing about all this is that it has brought to my attention that the Greenland flag frickin’ rules. #Erfalasorput
January 17, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The only good thing about all this is that it has brought to my attention that the Greenland flag frickin’ rules. #Erfalasorput
Reposted by rob pike
Holy hell, what an obituary
Renfrew Christie Dies at 76; Sabotaged Racist Regime’s Nuclear Program
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Holy hell, what an obituary
I've always thought it would be nice to have a Turing Award. Perhaps my good friend Ken Thompson would give me his. He's got lots of other awards anyway.
(joke!)
(joke!)
The Norwegian Nobel Prize committee has been forced to make a statement, declaring that the prize cannot be transferred.
It's hard even to comprehend how stupid this has become
It's hard even to comprehend how stupid this has become
January 10, 2026 at 8:41 PM
I've always thought it would be nice to have a Turing Award. Perhaps my good friend Ken Thompson would give me his. He's got lots of other awards anyway.
(joke!)
(joke!)
Reposted by rob pike
N.I.C.E.
Be more like Canada 🇨🇦
Be more like Canada 🇨🇦
January 9, 2026 at 12:29 PM
N.I.C.E.
Be more like Canada 🇨🇦
Be more like Canada 🇨🇦
Reposted by rob pike
“Pulling a New Proof from Knuth's Fixed-Point Printer”
Happy 88th Birthday to Don Knuth!
And thanks again to @robpike.io for Ivy.
research.swtch.com/fp-knuth
Happy 88th Birthday to Don Knuth!
And thanks again to @robpike.io for Ivy.
research.swtch.com/fp-knuth
research!rsc: Pulling a New Proof from Knuth’s Fixed-Point Printer
research.swtch.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:30 PM
“Pulling a New Proof from Knuth's Fixed-Point Printer”
Happy 88th Birthday to Don Knuth!
And thanks again to @robpike.io for Ivy.
research.swtch.com/fp-knuth
Happy 88th Birthday to Don Knuth!
And thanks again to @robpike.io for Ivy.
research.swtch.com/fp-knuth
Reposted by rob pike
Reposted by rob pike
11pm 78% humidity
January 7, 2026 at 11:59 AM
11pm 78% humidity
Reposted by rob pike
If you are submitting an NIH grant in February, you will be required to use SciENcv to prepare you biosketch.
IT IS MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
Set aside *at least* 4 hours just to transfer an existing an biosketch into SciENcv.
IT IS MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
Set aside *at least* 4 hours just to transfer an existing an biosketch into SciENcv.
January 6, 2026 at 11:29 PM
If you are submitting an NIH grant in February, you will be required to use SciENcv to prepare you biosketch.
IT IS MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
Set aside *at least* 4 hours just to transfer an existing an biosketch into SciENcv.
IT IS MUCH WORSE THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
Set aside *at least* 4 hours just to transfer an existing an biosketch into SciENcv.
Reposted by rob pike
Since ChatGPT came out in late 2022, over *half a million* tech workers have been laid off. That fact, and their voices, aren't really shaping the conversation about AI, and what "AI" really means in culture. So I started to get into it: www.anildash.com/2026/01/06/5...
500,000 tech workers have been laid off since ChatGPT was released - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
www.anildash.com
January 6, 2026 at 9:09 PM
Since ChatGPT came out in late 2022, over *half a million* tech workers have been laid off. That fact, and their voices, aren't really shaping the conversation about AI, and what "AI" really means in culture. So I started to get into it: www.anildash.com/2026/01/06/5...
Reposted by rob pike
PSA: go.sum is not a lockfile.
You never need to look at go.sum.
go.mod has everything you need.
You never need to look at go.sum.
go.mod has everything you need.
go.sum Is Not a Lockfile
In Go, go.mod acts as both manifest and lockfile. There is never a reason to look at go.sum.
words.filippo.io
January 5, 2026 at 8:25 PM
PSA: go.sum is not a lockfile.
You never need to look at go.sum.
go.mod has everything you need.
You never need to look at go.sum.
go.mod has everything you need.
Remember when I said 2026 hadn't even started yet?
Well, it's started now.
Well, it's started now.
January 5, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Remember when I said 2026 hadn't even started yet?
Well, it's started now.
Well, it's started now.
Reposted by rob pike
Do you have an idle cluster? Can you spare a couple core-years?
Help me bruteforce some test vectors for RSA key generation edge cases!
Here are the instructions, it's just a matter of running a single self-contained cross-compilable Go binary that will report the results autonomously.
Help me bruteforce some test vectors for RSA key generation edge cases!
Here are the instructions, it's just a matter of running a single self-contained cross-compilable Go binary that will report the results autonomously.
RSA test vector crowdsourcing instructions
gist.github.com
January 4, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Do you have an idle cluster? Can you spare a couple core-years?
Help me bruteforce some test vectors for RSA key generation edge cases!
Here are the instructions, it's just a matter of running a single self-contained cross-compilable Go binary that will report the results autonomously.
Help me bruteforce some test vectors for RSA key generation edge cases!
Here are the instructions, it's just a matter of running a single self-contained cross-compilable Go binary that will report the results autonomously.
Reposted by rob pike
not the creature from the black lagoon
January 2, 2026 at 3:19 PM
not the creature from the black lagoon
Reposted by rob pike
Tony Tyson first dreamt up the Vera Rubin Observatory more than 30 years ago
He is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025
go.nature.com/3N6lts8
He is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025
go.nature.com/3N6lts8
The visionary physicist who gave us a new way to view the cosmos
Nature - Tony Tyson is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025.
go.nature.com
January 2, 2026 at 11:52 AM
Tony Tyson first dreamt up the Vera Rubin Observatory more than 30 years ago
He is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025
go.nature.com/3N6lts8
He is part of Nature’s 10, a list of people who shaped science in 2025
go.nature.com/3N6lts8
Reposted by rob pike
If you are a resident of California, the state now has a portal where you can demand deletion of your personal data from 500+ registered data brokers with a single request form, for free.
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
January 2, 2026 at 2:26 AM
If you are a resident of California, the state now has a portal where you can demand deletion of your personal data from 500+ registered data brokers with a single request form, for free.
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
consumer.drop.privacy.ca.gov
Reposted by rob pike
Reposted by rob pike
Documents being tossed!? If anyone has contacts at Goddard, please tell them I know an historian who will rescue them because this is horrifying.
It's me. I'm the historian. But really, if someone's organizing saving docs let me know how to help!
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/c...
It's me. I'm the historian. But really, if someone's organizing saving docs let me know how to help!
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/c...
NASA’s Largest Library Is Closing Amid Staff and Lab Cuts
www.nytimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Documents being tossed!? If anyone has contacts at Goddard, please tell them I know an historian who will rescue them because this is horrifying.
It's me. I'm the historian. But really, if someone's organizing saving docs let me know how to help!
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/c...
It's me. I'm the historian. But really, if someone's organizing saving docs let me know how to help!
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/c...
On the one hand, 2025 is almost over.
On the other hand, 2026 hasn't even started yet.
On the other hand, 2026 hasn't even started yet.
December 31, 2025 at 6:51 AM
On the one hand, 2025 is almost over.
On the other hand, 2026 hasn't even started yet.
On the other hand, 2026 hasn't even started yet.
Reposted by rob pike
Graduate students - curious about the #SchweickartPrize? Join our January Q&A sessions to learn more about the prize, the application process, and how to apply. Sign up for the Schweickart Prize newsletter for more details. www.schweickartprize.org
December 31, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Graduate students - curious about the #SchweickartPrize? Join our January Q&A sessions to learn more about the prize, the application process, and how to apply. Sign up for the Schweickart Prize newsletter for more details. www.schweickartprize.org
Reposted by rob pike
Reposted by rob pike
AI sloppers (is that a term?) crying that their prompts are being stolen is more beautiful than anything AI could produce
December 28, 2025 at 11:46 PM
AI sloppers (is that a term?) crying that their prompts are being stolen is more beautiful than anything AI could produce
Reposted by rob pike
Reposted by rob pike
What's funny is you can tell exactly why it output this string.
When it stole literally all of Stack Overflow, it stole tons and tons of people's explanations of how to make a program that produces random character strings.
One of the easiest ways to do so, contains *this* ASCII string.
When it stole literally all of Stack Overflow, it stole tons and tons of people's explanations of how to make a program that produces random character strings.
One of the easiest ways to do so, contains *this* ASCII string.
July 31, 2025 at 5:02 AM
What's funny is you can tell exactly why it output this string.
When it stole literally all of Stack Overflow, it stole tons and tons of people's explanations of how to make a program that produces random character strings.
One of the easiest ways to do so, contains *this* ASCII string.
When it stole literally all of Stack Overflow, it stole tons and tons of people's explanations of how to make a program that produces random character strings.
One of the easiest ways to do so, contains *this* ASCII string.