Timothy Rice
@timothyrice.org
τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν
ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν
Non est beatus, esse se qui non putat.
📍 Portland, OR
timothyrice.org
☧
ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν
Non est beatus, esse se qui non putat.
📍 Portland, OR
timothyrice.org
☧
Pinned
Timothy Rice
@timothyrice.org
· Mar 29
Any time I hear someone pine for a post-scarcity economy I think about how I can buy 41,000 calories of flour for less than $10.
Why do so many podcasts start with a summary of what is going to be talked about in the episode? Just start talking about your topic! I don't need a teaser trailer! Does anyone want this??
February 7, 2026 at 3:40 AM
Why do so many podcasts start with a summary of what is going to be talked about in the episode? Just start talking about your topic! I don't need a teaser trailer! Does anyone want this??
It's more important to ask why we have algorithmic feeds, imo. Underlying almost every problem on the Internet is the demand to create views for advertising.
Eliminate ads, and we solve so many problems. They're evil.
Eliminate ads, and we solve so many problems. They're evil.
I really think where we went wrong was algorithmic feeds. by far the best and most fulfilling part of my BlueSky experience is the one list that includes friends (including ones I've never met IRL)
January 11, 2026 at 8:15 PM
It's more important to ask why we have algorithmic feeds, imo. Underlying almost every problem on the Internet is the demand to create views for advertising.
Eliminate ads, and we solve so many problems. They're evil.
Eliminate ads, and we solve so many problems. They're evil.
Reposted by Timothy Rice
Take a second and think before posting the easy Eeyore reply. You might have something substantive to say instead. Or, even better, you can say nothing at all.
January 8, 2026 at 3:52 AM
Take a second and think before posting the easy Eeyore reply. You might have something substantive to say instead. Or, even better, you can say nothing at all.
Reposted by Timothy Rice
If you are anxious and sad about the state of the world, that's fine, and there are plenty of strategies for dealing with that. But I think you already know that drive-by online dooming isn't a strategy. It's selfish and adolescent. It's a contagion that only spreads the worst of you, not the best.
January 8, 2026 at 3:51 AM
If you are anxious and sad about the state of the world, that's fine, and there are plenty of strategies for dealing with that. But I think you already know that drive-by online dooming isn't a strategy. It's selfish and adolescent. It's a contagion that only spreads the worst of you, not the best.
I always find it comforting to hear of other countries making insane public health decisions. It's like when I find out that someone else's kids also throw tantrums when asked to set the table.
Perhaps my situation isn't *uniquely* awful after all!
Perhaps my situation isn't *uniquely* awful after all!
The Dutch Health Council advised against default chickenpox vaccination in 2020. Meanwhile 95% of children in NL get infected by age 6 and ~250 are hospitalised per year. You could cut that number by 99%, prevent all young deaths, protect older people, AND save money! Just mind-boggling
In the first 25 years when vaccines were routinely provided, more than 91 million cases of chickenpox, 238 000 hospitalizations, and almost 2000 deaths were prevented in the US.
It was also cost-saving: with a net societal savings of at least 23.4 billion US dollars so far.
It was also cost-saving: with a net societal savings of at least 23.4 billion US dollars so far.
January 3, 2026 at 2:08 PM
I always find it comforting to hear of other countries making insane public health decisions. It's like when I find out that someone else's kids also throw tantrums when asked to set the table.
Perhaps my situation isn't *uniquely* awful after all!
Perhaps my situation isn't *uniquely* awful after all!
I'm at the point where if I see any image - especially a screenshot! - without a link to its source I assume it's a fake. This should be everyone's default.
Also stop posting images without links to their sources!! For crying out loud people, we've been online for like 20 years at this point.
Also stop posting images without links to their sources!! For crying out loud people, we've been online for like 20 years at this point.
It’s no guarantee but the first thing you should do if you see an outrageous story that’s just an image or screenshot or video with no link to a reputable source is to check the replies and see if someone is saying “that’s an AI fake.” And then don’t spread it either way because it’s not sourced.
January 3, 2026 at 5:29 AM
I'm at the point where if I see any image - especially a screenshot! - without a link to its source I assume it's a fake. This should be everyone's default.
Also stop posting images without links to their sources!! For crying out loud people, we've been online for like 20 years at this point.
Also stop posting images without links to their sources!! For crying out loud people, we've been online for like 20 years at this point.
My general take any time something like this (fake citations, homework cheating) pops up is that the LLM tools aren't *causing* the problem so much as they are *revealing* it.
What we're learning is that most students/academics/people are rarely willing to put in effort to at their work.
What we're learning is that most students/academics/people are rarely willing to put in effort to at their work.
It's always curious to me that people aren't more mad at the academics in these circumstances. Shouldn't we expect people publishing papers to actually read the works they are citing?
My usual takeaway from occurrences like this is that very few people are actually willing to do Real Work.
My usual takeaway from occurrences like this is that very few people are actually willing to do Real Work.
December 20, 2025 at 6:07 PM
My general take any time something like this (fake citations, homework cheating) pops up is that the LLM tools aren't *causing* the problem so much as they are *revealing* it.
What we're learning is that most students/academics/people are rarely willing to put in effort to at their work.
What we're learning is that most students/academics/people are rarely willing to put in effort to at their work.
Reposted by Timothy Rice
It's always curious to me that people aren't more mad at the academics in these circumstances. Shouldn't we expect people publishing papers to actually read the works they are citing?
My usual takeaway from occurrences like this is that very few people are actually willing to do Real Work.
My usual takeaway from occurrences like this is that very few people are actually willing to do Real Work.
December 20, 2025 at 2:55 PM
It's always curious to me that people aren't more mad at the academics in these circumstances. Shouldn't we expect people publishing papers to actually read the works they are citing?
My usual takeaway from occurrences like this is that very few people are actually willing to do Real Work.
My usual takeaway from occurrences like this is that very few people are actually willing to do Real Work.
@jupli.com I've just completed your entire 0 -> 10k running plan!
When I started in September the idea of being able to run continuously for 60 minutes sounded wildly absurd to me. And now I feel like I could easily go much longer than that!
I will be recommending your app to many people :)
When I started in September the idea of being able to run continuously for 60 minutes sounded wildly absurd to me. And now I feel like I could easily go much longer than that!
I will be recommending your app to many people :)
December 18, 2025 at 3:25 PM
@jupli.com I've just completed your entire 0 -> 10k running plan!
When I started in September the idea of being able to run continuously for 60 minutes sounded wildly absurd to me. And now I feel like I could easily go much longer than that!
I will be recommending your app to many people :)
When I started in September the idea of being able to run continuously for 60 minutes sounded wildly absurd to me. And now I feel like I could easily go much longer than that!
I will be recommending your app to many people :)
Reposted by Timothy Rice
I never know how to react to the latest news, so let me just say one more time: immigration is good. It helps immigrants and it helps native-born people. It makes the world richer, culturally and financially.
December 11, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I never know how to react to the latest news, so let me just say one more time: immigration is good. It helps immigrants and it helps native-born people. It makes the world richer, culturally and financially.
I think what impressed me the most about Japan was the way they were able to absorb ideas from other cultures while applying a uniquely Japanese twist to them. They're able to capture the essence of the original idea, while still maintaining a distinctly Japanese feel.
x.com/Chris_arnade...
x.com/Chris_arnade...
November 20, 2025 at 3:25 PM
I think what impressed me the most about Japan was the way they were able to absorb ideas from other cultures while applying a uniquely Japanese twist to them. They're able to capture the essence of the original idea, while still maintaining a distinctly Japanese feel.
x.com/Chris_arnade...
x.com/Chris_arnade...
Reposted by Timothy Rice
It would be more accurate to say that they're living in "extreme exclusivity". This isn't about being hidden away, it's about feeling aloof.
November 17, 2025 at 5:43 PM
It would be more accurate to say that they're living in "extreme exclusivity". This isn't about being hidden away, it's about feeling aloof.
Reposted by Timothy Rice
I have wondered how much an affect visual media has had on family size. It's *extremely* rare to see depictions of families with more than two kids, I think only because it's hard to cast and write for a dynamic of that many people.
November 18, 2025 at 4:44 PM
I have wondered how much an affect visual media has had on family size. It's *extremely* rare to see depictions of families with more than two kids, I think only because it's hard to cast and write for a dynamic of that many people.
For whatever reason "pallet" shows up all the time in fantasy literature. It's similar to how scifi authors can't stop using the word "creche".
Funny thing:
A few years ago I learned the word "pallet" to refer to something like "a pile of bedding on the floor" is a fading southernism. My grandma used it ("I'll set up a pallet in front of the TV"), and I'm told elder black folks use it, but most people associate it with medieval speech?
A few years ago I learned the word "pallet" to refer to something like "a pile of bedding on the floor" is a fading southernism. My grandma used it ("I'll set up a pallet in front of the TV"), and I'm told elder black folks use it, but most people associate it with medieval speech?
People think "y'all" is the defining southernism, but really it's saying "have a good one" when parting, especially if pronounced "havagoowuh." If you tag the y'all it becomes "havagoowahyaw."
November 15, 2025 at 3:50 AM
For whatever reason "pallet" shows up all the time in fantasy literature. It's similar to how scifi authors can't stop using the word "creche".
Purchased!
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wipfandstock.com/978166670304...
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November 8, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Purchased!
Advertising is one of the great evils of our civilization and we should fervently strive to purge it from our society.
Do you have any extremely niche, but serious, ethical stances?
October 17, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Advertising is one of the great evils of our civilization and we should fervently strive to purge it from our society.
@adapalmer.bsky.social a question for you about history, GenAI, and public trust.
It seems to me that most of the fear I see about how GenAI will erode public trust are making arguments from an assumption that we've always had an ability to trust media evidence (photo/video/audio) as factual.
It seems to me that most of the fear I see about how GenAI will erode public trust are making arguments from an assumption that we've always had an ability to trust media evidence (photo/video/audio) as factual.
October 10, 2025 at 4:16 PM
@adapalmer.bsky.social a question for you about history, GenAI, and public trust.
It seems to me that most of the fear I see about how GenAI will erode public trust are making arguments from an assumption that we've always had an ability to trust media evidence (photo/video/audio) as factual.
It seems to me that most of the fear I see about how GenAI will erode public trust are making arguments from an assumption that we've always had an ability to trust media evidence (photo/video/audio) as factual.
Oregon
What’s the word where you’re from that, when pronounced exactly as it looks, identifies a tourist immediately?
October 9, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Oregon
Reposted by Timothy Rice
Good morning.
Immigration is good. Trade is good.
There are nuances but they are narrow enough that free and open movement of people and goods should be the default.
Immigration is good. Trade is good.
There are nuances but they are narrow enough that free and open movement of people and goods should be the default.
September 22, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Good morning.
Immigration is good. Trade is good.
There are nuances but they are narrow enough that free and open movement of people and goods should be the default.
Immigration is good. Trade is good.
There are nuances but they are narrow enough that free and open movement of people and goods should be the default.
@dys-morphia.bsky.social plenty of the west coast has lots of water! You just have to get up to the Cascade range.
(yes, I also don't think about water much, except during the annual July/Aug dry spell. The first big rain of September is a release of pent-up stress you forgot you were carrying).
(yes, I also don't think about water much, except during the annual July/Aug dry spell. The first big rain of September is a release of pent-up stress you forgot you were carrying).
August 29, 2025 at 7:22 PM
@dys-morphia.bsky.social plenty of the west coast has lots of water! You just have to get up to the Cascade range.
(yes, I also don't think about water much, except during the annual July/Aug dry spell. The first big rain of September is a release of pent-up stress you forgot you were carrying).
(yes, I also don't think about water much, except during the annual July/Aug dry spell. The first big rain of September is a release of pent-up stress you forgot you were carrying).
@papamurphyspizza.bsky.social Can you help me understand why your app is by far the most paranoid on my phone? I feel like there must be an incredible story behind the absolute refusal to let android developers order take 'n bake pizza.
August 26, 2025 at 3:12 PM
@papamurphyspizza.bsky.social Can you help me understand why your app is by far the most paranoid on my phone? I feel like there must be an incredible story behind the absolute refusal to let android developers order take 'n bake pizza.
I've been thinking about this a lot, and am hung up on a particular point. Namely, that for all the talk about mechanizing thought, it seems that most of the benefits of computers has come from machines "doing things that humans are bad it". And we haven't made much progress at recreating thought!
I think there's this belief that computers are a machine that does what humans are bad at, but the idea of recreating human thought has been baked in from the beginning and reiterated throughout. From Leibniz's calculus ratiocinator to ENIAC's neuron-based architecture, to today's neural networks.
August 25, 2025 at 5:13 PM
I've been thinking about this a lot, and am hung up on a particular point. Namely, that for all the talk about mechanizing thought, it seems that most of the benefits of computers has come from machines "doing things that humans are bad it". And we haven't made much progress at recreating thought!
As a self-professed methane pipe enthusiast, I want to take a moment to defend:
1) Natural gas as a service and
2) Natural gas for cooking in particular.
1) Natural gas as a service and
2) Natural gas for cooking in particular.
And yet we still have people being like "no, I love that pipe filled with methane that goes into my house"
August 21, 2025 at 3:55 PM
As a self-professed methane pipe enthusiast, I want to take a moment to defend:
1) Natural gas as a service and
2) Natural gas for cooking in particular.
1) Natural gas as a service and
2) Natural gas for cooking in particular.
I want to stress that while playing a game of "find the most mundane task that stumps the billion dollar LLM" is very *entertaining* it doesn't really demonstrate anything of value.
The true measure of any tool is simply: "Is it useful?" All other metrics hang on this question.
The true measure of any tool is simply: "Is it useful?" All other metrics hang on this question.
I feel like I've been given some super powered version of ChatGPT that is immune to all the problems everyone else has with the tools. 🤷♂️
chatgpt.com/share/689601...
chatgpt.com/share/689601...
August 8, 2025 at 2:21 PM
I want to stress that while playing a game of "find the most mundane task that stumps the billion dollar LLM" is very *entertaining* it doesn't really demonstrate anything of value.
The true measure of any tool is simply: "Is it useful?" All other metrics hang on this question.
The true measure of any tool is simply: "Is it useful?" All other metrics hang on this question.