Marcus Helmer 🇺🇸
@bertrandsballot.bsky.social
Fun lover. And by fun I mean building homes, protected bike lanes, funding transit and other things that are good for people. Also board games.
My treadmill called me fat today. It stopped and told me it was paused until I stopped "hitting it so hard". How am I supposed to be low impact when I weigh 240 pounds?!
November 9, 2025 at 7:50 PM
My treadmill called me fat today. It stopped and told me it was paused until I stopped "hitting it so hard". How am I supposed to be low impact when I weigh 240 pounds?!
Clark's Grebe has black cap above the eye, and Western Grebe below the eye. But because there is some variation...
Clark's Grebe has a single *krik* sound
Western Grebe has a double *krik-krik* sound. Which I can remember because Western is two syllables and Clark is one.
Clark's Grebe has a single *krik* sound
Western Grebe has a double *krik-krik* sound. Which I can remember because Western is two syllables and Clark is one.
what is this bird (as seen at Dana Point Harbor in California)
November 8, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Clark's Grebe has black cap above the eye, and Western Grebe below the eye. But because there is some variation...
Clark's Grebe has a single *krik* sound
Western Grebe has a double *krik-krik* sound. Which I can remember because Western is two syllables and Clark is one.
Clark's Grebe has a single *krik* sound
Western Grebe has a double *krik-krik* sound. Which I can remember because Western is two syllables and Clark is one.
Reposted by Marcus Helmer 🇺🇸
November 7, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Reposted by Marcus Helmer 🇺🇸
ryan is right. people HATE hearing this. but it is just a matter of simple incentives. if you want a more representative legislature — and if you want a legislature more resistant to corruption — then you need to jack up the salaries. serving as mayor of NYC should net you a cool 500K *at least*
people hate hearing this but it's 100% true, creating a huge pay gap between political leaders, their staffs, and other elites is a recipe for corruption. of course the flip side of that is taxes on the rich should be jacked way the hell up
The Mayor of New York only makes $260k. I bet there are police that make more than that in NY with overtime.
We need to pay elected leaders more money and stop pretending it's some sort of calling. They're managing hundreds of billions of dollars in investments and millions of people's lives.
We need to pay elected leaders more money and stop pretending it's some sort of calling. They're managing hundreds of billions of dollars in investments and millions of people's lives.
November 7, 2025 at 3:42 PM
ryan is right. people HATE hearing this. but it is just a matter of simple incentives. if you want a more representative legislature — and if you want a legislature more resistant to corruption — then you need to jack up the salaries. serving as mayor of NYC should net you a cool 500K *at least*
Alright, when do we get to find out what Jack Donaghy was doing in D.C.?
November 7, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Alright, when do we get to find out what Jack Donaghy was doing in D.C.?
Reposted by Marcus Helmer 🇺🇸
A 34-year-old as a politician: My god he's like a baby. It's like they just elected an infant to be their mayor.
A 34-year-old as an athlete: You have to admire the bravery of him attempting that dunk, knowing full well the grim reaper is right behind him.
A 34-year-old as an athlete: You have to admire the bravery of him attempting that dunk, knowing full well the grim reaper is right behind him.
November 5, 2025 at 5:45 AM
A 34-year-old as a politician: My god he's like a baby. It's like they just elected an infant to be their mayor.
A 34-year-old as an athlete: You have to admire the bravery of him attempting that dunk, knowing full well the grim reaper is right behind him.
A 34-year-old as an athlete: You have to admire the bravery of him attempting that dunk, knowing full well the grim reaper is right behind him.
Maybe just me, but one sign of a good practice problem is there is an instinctive flinch away from doing the problem because we know it will take cognitive effort and the second reaction is thinking the problem is tractable.
November 5, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Maybe just me, but one sign of a good practice problem is there is an instinctive flinch away from doing the problem because we know it will take cognitive effort and the second reaction is thinking the problem is tractable.
Reposted by Marcus Helmer 🇺🇸
Zohran picked 「卓蘭」("excellent orchid") for his first name and「夸梅」("brilliant plum") for his middle name.
The orchid and the plum are among "The Four Noble Ones" in traditional Chinese art, the former symbolizing an indifference to fame and fortune, the latter an indomitable, incorruptible spirit.
The orchid and the plum are among "The Four Noble Ones" in traditional Chinese art, the former symbolizing an indifference to fame and fortune, the latter an indomitable, incorruptible spirit.
highlight of my day!!!! vote @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social vote @workingfamilies.org ❤️❤️❤️
November 3, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Zohran picked 「卓蘭」("excellent orchid") for his first name and「夸梅」("brilliant plum") for his middle name.
The orchid and the plum are among "The Four Noble Ones" in traditional Chinese art, the former symbolizing an indifference to fame and fortune, the latter an indomitable, incorruptible spirit.
The orchid and the plum are among "The Four Noble Ones" in traditional Chinese art, the former symbolizing an indifference to fame and fortune, the latter an indomitable, incorruptible spirit.
Reposted by Marcus Helmer 🇺🇸
I am 100% going to try to snag some of this Butternaise when it goes on sale later this week. FOR SCIENCE! 🍽️🍜
November 3, 2025 at 8:29 PM
I am 100% going to try to snag some of this Butternaise when it goes on sale later this week. FOR SCIENCE! 🍽️🍜
Halloween is a 10/10 holiday
November 1, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Halloween is a 10/10 holiday
This is a solid first attempt at sourdough bread.
November 1, 2025 at 12:21 AM
This is a solid first attempt at sourdough bread.
This is a very cool use of LLMs. But, the conclusion, that suddenly there will be a surge in LLM intelligence is not certain.
I'm not confident one way or another. It just seems entirely plausible that there are upper limits on machine intelligence for reasons we just do not fully understand yet.
I'm not confident one way or another. It just seems entirely plausible that there are upper limits on machine intelligence for reasons we just do not fully understand yet.
I crossed an interesting threshold yesterday, which I think many other mathematicians have been crossing recently as well. In the middle of trying to prove a result, I identified a statement that looked true and that would, if true, be useful to me. 1/3
October 31, 2025 at 8:12 PM
This is a very cool use of LLMs. But, the conclusion, that suddenly there will be a surge in LLM intelligence is not certain.
I'm not confident one way or another. It just seems entirely plausible that there are upper limits on machine intelligence for reasons we just do not fully understand yet.
I'm not confident one way or another. It just seems entirely plausible that there are upper limits on machine intelligence for reasons we just do not fully understand yet.
Reposted by Marcus Helmer 🇺🇸
I use Claude (an AI) to scan my posts for spelling and grammar errors. On the most recent post (about the East Wing, link below), I got a really amazing addendum.
www.pbump.net/o/yes-most-a...
www.pbump.net/o/yes-most-a...
October 30, 2025 at 3:03 PM
I use Claude (an AI) to scan my posts for spelling and grammar errors. On the most recent post (about the East Wing, link below), I got a really amazing addendum.
www.pbump.net/o/yes-most-a...
www.pbump.net/o/yes-most-a...
My goal is to be a bug with a big ass. Today's squats.
October 28, 2025 at 9:14 PM
My goal is to be a bug with a big ass. Today's squats.
The annual ritual humiliation.
October 26, 2025 at 10:40 PM
The annual ritual humiliation.
Did I pass my test today, maybe?? Good thing it's computerized and multiple choice, so I'll know soon. Jk, I'll know in 6-8 WEEKS.
October 23, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Did I pass my test today, maybe?? Good thing it's computerized and multiple choice, so I'll know soon. Jk, I'll know in 6-8 WEEKS.
"We're spending our whole lives together, so we need to be really gentle"
Social media users adopt the toxic behaviors of ingroup members
An analysis of 7 million tweets from over 700,000 accounts finds that exposures to toxic behavior by ingroup members is the primary driver of contagious toxicity online academic.oup.com/jcmc/article...
An analysis of 7 million tweets from over 700,000 accounts finds that exposures to toxic behavior by ingroup members is the primary driver of contagious toxicity online academic.oup.com/jcmc/article...
October 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
"We're spending our whole lives together, so we need to be really gentle"
My partner said if I don't pass my exam tomorrow, then I won't need to make flashcards for the exam content (I have 60 pages of notes I need to convert). What she doesn't understand is that I am insane and have a compulsive need to remember this content for the rest of my life.
October 22, 2025 at 5:20 PM
My partner said if I don't pass my exam tomorrow, then I won't need to make flashcards for the exam content (I have 60 pages of notes I need to convert). What she doesn't understand is that I am insane and have a compulsive need to remember this content for the rest of my life.
My head is going to explode from the amount of information I'm failing to hold in my brain. I will fail my test on Thursday with grace.
October 22, 2025 at 12:42 AM
My head is going to explode from the amount of information I'm failing to hold in my brain. I will fail my test on Thursday with grace.
The defanging of the FDA is the main story. And this has some nice practical advice for what protein powders are best.
October 20, 2025 at 5:22 PM
The defanging of the FDA is the main story. And this has some nice practical advice for what protein powders are best.
Reposted by Marcus Helmer 🇺🇸
Failure to return the shopping cart to one of the cart returns if you are able is a sign of someone who does not value the social contract.
Do you have any extremely niche, but serious, ethical stances?
October 20, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Failure to return the shopping cart to one of the cart returns if you are able is a sign of someone who does not value the social contract.
Hooty, the North Park Great Horned Owl, says hello! Or maybe buzz off!
October 20, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Hooty, the North Park Great Horned Owl, says hello! Or maybe buzz off!
It is absolutely nuts at Waterfront Park.
October 18, 2025 at 5:26 PM
It is absolutely nuts at Waterfront Park.
Reposted by Marcus Helmer 🇺🇸
It is *still* unknown whether or not every triangle admits a periodic billiard trajectory. Every triangle with rational angles does. And so does every obtuse triangle of at most 112.4 deg. "112.5 appears to be a natural barrier."
gwtokarsky.github.io. #MathSky #Mathematics #Geometry #Billiards
gwtokarsky.github.io. #MathSky #Mathematics #Geometry #Billiards
October 18, 2025 at 12:15 AM
It is *still* unknown whether or not every triangle admits a periodic billiard trajectory. Every triangle with rational angles does. And so does every obtuse triangle of at most 112.4 deg. "112.5 appears to be a natural barrier."
gwtokarsky.github.io. #MathSky #Mathematics #Geometry #Billiards
gwtokarsky.github.io. #MathSky #Mathematics #Geometry #Billiards