Nicholas Weaver
@ncweaver.skerry-tech.com
Researcher, Computer Security @ ICSI
Chief Mad Scientist @ Skerry Technologies
Putting the Science in "Mad Science"
Digital, Explainable, and (usually) Adversarial Systems
Looking for employment: CV is here https://skerry-tech.com/cv.html
he/him
Chief Mad Scientist @ Skerry Technologies
Putting the Science in "Mad Science"
Digital, Explainable, and (usually) Adversarial Systems
Looking for employment: CV is here https://skerry-tech.com/cv.html
he/him
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
so, today I got the surgery center where I got my deviated septum fixed to send me an itemized bill so I could submit to my FSA for reimbursement
my out of pocket cost: $473
what my insurance paid: $4258
what they tried to charge my insurance (not a misprint): $173692
my out of pocket cost: $473
what my insurance paid: $4258
what they tried to charge my insurance (not a misprint): $173692
I was at an event yesterday where Rand Paul spoke via video and talked about how great it was to send ACA money "directly to the people" so that they could work collectively to get better deals on health care.
November 10, 2025 at 8:55 PM
so, today I got the surgery center where I got my deviated septum fixed to send me an itemized bill so I could submit to my FSA for reimbursement
my out of pocket cost: $473
what my insurance paid: $4258
what they tried to charge my insurance (not a misprint): $173692
my out of pocket cost: $473
what my insurance paid: $4258
what they tried to charge my insurance (not a misprint): $173692
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
While I don’t ride or die for Pete Buttigieg, the vitriol directed at him is completely insane.
“When I was younger I wished that I could have taken a pill to turn me straight; but I have accepted and embraced my identity now” is an *extremely* common sentiment from Millennial and older gay people!
“When I was younger I wished that I could have taken a pill to turn me straight; but I have accepted and embraced my identity now” is an *extremely* common sentiment from Millennial and older gay people!
When Pete Buttigieg says he would take medicine that makes gay men straight. What do you think is Mr. Buttigieg's attitude towards gays, men and medicine?
November 9, 2025 at 7:39 PM
While I don’t ride or die for Pete Buttigieg, the vitriol directed at him is completely insane.
“When I was younger I wished that I could have taken a pill to turn me straight; but I have accepted and embraced my identity now” is an *extremely* common sentiment from Millennial and older gay people!
“When I was younger I wished that I could have taken a pill to turn me straight; but I have accepted and embraced my identity now” is an *extremely* common sentiment from Millennial and older gay people!
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Wow: Per Hamdi's legal team, his only charge was a visa overstay — after Trump revoked his visa.
Despite DHS tweeting that Hamdi supported terrorism, they never charged him with any criminality.
In other words: Trump revoked a journalist's visa, so agents could arrest him for overstaying his visa.
Despite DHS tweeting that Hamdi supported terrorism, they never charged him with any criminality.
In other words: Trump revoked a journalist's visa, so agents could arrest him for overstaying his visa.
NEW: British journalist Sami Hamdi is being released from US detention.
Trump administration agents detained him two weeks ago at the San Francisco airport — hours after he addressed an event, where he urged US leaders to take an “America First” approach rather than “Israel First.”
Trump administration agents detained him two weeks ago at the San Francisco airport — hours after he addressed an event, where he urged US leaders to take an “America First” approach rather than “Israel First.”
November 10, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Wow: Per Hamdi's legal team, his only charge was a visa overstay — after Trump revoked his visa.
Despite DHS tweeting that Hamdi supported terrorism, they never charged him with any criminality.
In other words: Trump revoked a journalist's visa, so agents could arrest him for overstaying his visa.
Despite DHS tweeting that Hamdi supported terrorism, they never charged him with any criminality.
In other words: Trump revoked a journalist's visa, so agents could arrest him for overstaying his visa.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
every single week they're throwing this guy a special oval office love-in that appears to be the presidential equivalent of letting your dog scarf an entire big mac and fries before that last trip to the vet
Pirro: "Mr President, there is in this room a group of people who love you, who believe in you, and who are so proud to be in this Oval Office and to be part of this amazing day because you have changed the course of America."
November 10, 2025 at 9:10 PM
every single week they're throwing this guy a special oval office love-in that appears to be the presidential equivalent of letting your dog scarf an entire big mac and fries before that last trip to the vet
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Excellent summation.
The highlights. ML can only be used where "its OK to be wrong", which usually means "its OK to be a little more wrong to be a LOT cheaper", which is the edge.
Oh, and LLMs are very niche as they can't be used with "untrusted input + do bad thing". There is no market for the GW datacenters.
Oh, and LLMs are very niche as they can't be used with "untrusted input + do bad thing". There is no market for the GW datacenters.
Nicholas Weaver: The futile future of the gigawatt datacenter
The edge is where it’s at
Blog post by @ncweaver.skerry-tech.com:
pivot-to-ai.com/2025/11/07/t...
Interview with Nick:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5rL... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20251107-nic... - podcast
time: 26 min 53 sec
The edge is where it’s at
Blog post by @ncweaver.skerry-tech.com:
pivot-to-ai.com/2025/11/07/t...
Interview with Nick:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5rL... - video
pivottoai.libsyn.com/20251107-nic... - podcast
time: 26 min 53 sec
November 10, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Excellent summation.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
This case has one of my favorite non-dispositive facts of all time - that the prisoner showed up to jail with a Fifth Circuit decision saying dreadlocks could not he cut, and the guards threw it out and shaved him anyway
At 10am, Supreme Court hears arguments in this religious rights case involving a Rastafarian prison inmate whose dreadlocks were cut off against his wishes:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/sup...
www.nbcnews.com/politics/sup...
Supreme Court weighs Rastafarian man's religious rights claim over shorn dreadlocks
Damon Landor is seeking damages after Louisiana prison officials cut off his dreadlocks in violation of his religious beliefs.
www.nbcnews.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:56 PM
This case has one of my favorite non-dispositive facts of all time - that the prisoner showed up to jail with a Fifth Circuit decision saying dreadlocks could not he cut, and the guards threw it out and shaved him anyway
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Went to repost this and then depressingly saw it was from 8 months ago. This is still true, and I am now convinced it will remain true until there are successful primary challenges nationwide to the "roll over and play dead" Dems.
American politics makes a lot more sense when you realize that the GOP is afraid of pissing off the GOP base, and the Dems are afraid of pissing off the GOP base, but neither party is afraid of pissing off the Dem base.
November 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Went to repost this and then depressingly saw it was from 8 months ago. This is still true, and I am now convinced it will remain true until there are successful primary challenges nationwide to the "roll over and play dead" Dems.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
On the plus side, tbe private credit implosion may happen before the US manages to shove it into 401(k) plans
news.bloomberglaw.com/private-equi...
news.bloomberglaw.com/private-equi...
BlackRock Eyes 100% Loss on Private Loan Amid Debate Over Marks
About a month ago, BlackRock Inc. deemed the private debt it had extended to Renovo Home Partners, a struggling home improvement company, to be worth 100 cents on the dollar. As of last week, the firm...
news.bloomberglaw.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:44 PM
On the plus side, tbe private credit implosion may happen before the US manages to shove it into 401(k) plans
news.bloomberglaw.com/private-equi...
news.bloomberglaw.com/private-equi...
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Anyone who proposes using an "agent" where "receives untrusted input" and "can do a bad thing" is, at best, ignorant and most likely a grifter.
Prompt injection is unfixable as LLMs have no notion of separate "code" and "data".
Prompt injection is unfixable as LLMs have no notion of separate "code" and "data".
November 10, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Anyone who proposes using an "agent" where "receives untrusted input" and "can do a bad thing" is, at best, ignorant and most likely a grifter.
Prompt injection is unfixable as LLMs have no notion of separate "code" and "data".
Prompt injection is unfixable as LLMs have no notion of separate "code" and "data".
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Some thoughts on the CR/minibus.
1 The Dems negotiating with Rs were not freelancing. They coordinated with Sen Schumer. A few were ready to give in on day one, others worked to maximize appropriations wins.
Those voting for the 'deal' are the ones furthest away from electoral consequences.
1 The Dems negotiating with Rs were not freelancing. They coordinated with Sen Schumer. A few were ready to give in on day one, others worked to maximize appropriations wins.
Those voting for the 'deal' are the ones furthest away from electoral consequences.
November 10, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Some thoughts on the CR/minibus.
1 The Dems negotiating with Rs were not freelancing. They coordinated with Sen Schumer. A few were ready to give in on day one, others worked to maximize appropriations wins.
Those voting for the 'deal' are the ones furthest away from electoral consequences.
1 The Dems negotiating with Rs were not freelancing. They coordinated with Sen Schumer. A few were ready to give in on day one, others worked to maximize appropriations wins.
Those voting for the 'deal' are the ones furthest away from electoral consequences.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
"LLM’s output is bullshit in the philosophical sense: statements that are divorced from whether or not they are true or false. The point of a LLM is to output text that looks right given the training data and query, not to produce text that is right" pivot-to-ai.com/2025/11/07/t...
The futile future of the gigawatt datacenter — by Nicholas Weaver
Guest post by Nicholas C. Weaver The AI companies and related enterprises are currently spending huge amounts in capital expenditures (CAPEX) to build “Gigawatt” class data centers for various AI-r…
pivot-to-ai.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:58 AM
"LLM’s output is bullshit in the philosophical sense: statements that are divorced from whether or not they are true or false. The point of a LLM is to output text that looks right given the training data and query, not to produce text that is right" pivot-to-ai.com/2025/11/07/t...
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
also: "The gigawatt data center is an evolutionary dead end. When the AI hype-bubble bursts, they are going to be multi-billion-dollar white elephants full of chips that are best simply turned off and the money regarded as wasted" Great piece by @ncweaver.skerry-tech.com via @davidgerard.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 9:58 AM
also: "The gigawatt data center is an evolutionary dead end. When the AI hype-bubble bursts, they are going to be multi-billion-dollar white elephants full of chips that are best simply turned off and the money regarded as wasted" Great piece by @ncweaver.skerry-tech.com via @davidgerard.co.uk
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
this is excellent three-dimensional chess. every good politician knows that the average person loves it when you openly care more about senate procedure than their lives.
November 10, 2025 at 1:47 PM
this is excellent three-dimensional chess. every good politician knows that the average person loves it when you openly care more about senate procedure than their lives.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
A useful model for "AI agents" is that they're the current excuse meme for AI. They're not a thing that works at all, now or in the fabulous future. But they're *such* good material for hypecrafting.
November 10, 2025 at 10:12 AM
A useful model for "AI agents" is that they're the current excuse meme for AI. They're not a thing that works at all, now or in the fabulous future. But they're *such* good material for hypecrafting.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Lots going on but from outside it seems that at least part of the calculus was that flight disruption for middle class and up travelers matters more than life disruption for untold numbers who’ll be deprived of health care.
November 10, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Lots going on but from outside it seems that at least part of the calculus was that flight disruption for middle class and up travelers matters more than life disruption for untold numbers who’ll be deprived of health care.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage
November 10, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Chuck Schumer Helps Pull Democrats Back From Brink Of Courage
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Congrats to the eight Democrats who gave this regime a huge win over the weekend. Here’s your reward.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Trump Pardons Giuliani and Others Involved in Effort to Overturn 2020 Election
www.nytimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Congrats to the eight Democrats who gave this regime a huge win over the weekend. Here’s your reward.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/u...
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
My family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
November 10, 2025 at 1:36 AM
My family has been without half our income for 40 days. It has been.. very hard.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
We are willing to feel that pain so people can have health care next year, or to undo these illegal recissions.
We are not willing to have been put through this for NOTHING.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Important to understand this. There's a reasonable chance that your Dem Senator who voted against it and is acting mad now was in on the play. It's the same reason why they scheduled the surrender for AFTER the election this week. They didn't want people pissed at Dems right before an election.
The caucus meeting was just to orchestrate who would fall on the sword but not be up for a vote in 2026.
so currently defectors are:
Kaine (2030)
Shaheen (Retiring)
Hasan (2028)
Fetterman (2028)
Durbin (Retiring)
CCM (2028)
Rosen (2030)
King (2030)
Kaine (2030)
Shaheen (Retiring)
Hasan (2028)
Fetterman (2028)
Durbin (Retiring)
CCM (2028)
Rosen (2030)
King (2030)
November 10, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Important to understand this. There's a reasonable chance that your Dem Senator who voted against it and is acting mad now was in on the play. It's the same reason why they scheduled the surrender for AFTER the election this week. They didn't want people pissed at Dems right before an election.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
It doesn't actually matter if Chuck Schumer votes for this or not.
If he can't keep his caucus unified to protect healthcare for over 10 million Americans, he should resign as leader.
If he can't keep his caucus unified to protect healthcare for over 10 million Americans, he should resign as leader.
November 10, 2025 at 12:50 AM
It doesn't actually matter if Chuck Schumer votes for this or not.
If he can't keep his caucus unified to protect healthcare for over 10 million Americans, he should resign as leader.
If he can't keep his caucus unified to protect healthcare for over 10 million Americans, he should resign as leader.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Schumer is spreading the word he was against the deal. But he is the leader. So he either tacitly let it happen or he failed as a leader. No excuse works for him. This is a fail.
November 10, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Schumer is spreading the word he was against the deal. But he is the leader. So he either tacitly let it happen or he failed as a leader. No excuse works for him. This is a fail.
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
Every few weeks we gotta make posts like this”call your dem reps to tell them to not vote to allow Lord Killdude to shove people into a volcano” and then the dem reps go “we’ve made an amazing deal where Lord Killdude can have his volcano so long as he promises not to shove people into it”
November 10, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Every few weeks we gotta make posts like this”call your dem reps to tell them to not vote to allow Lord Killdude to shove people into a volcano” and then the dem reps go “we’ve made an amazing deal where Lord Killdude can have his volcano so long as he promises not to shove people into it”
Reposted by Nicholas Weaver
it's genuinely mind-boggling how this went from the best maneuver of Schumer's tenure to a complete omnishambling humiliation of the whole caucus in two days
Also like, the Dem leadership can't make a big show of making it about healthcare because it's the only issue that polls well enough for them to risk taking a stand on, blow out the Republicans in state and local elections in apparent vindication of that strategy, and then cave on healthcare anyway.
I personally do not think maintaining federal employee jobs should be priority number one when more and more parts of the federal government are being used to institute a police state
November 10, 2025 at 1:57 AM
it's genuinely mind-boggling how this went from the best maneuver of Schumer's tenure to a complete omnishambling humiliation of the whole caucus in two days