On this day (1650): Harvard Corporation, the more powerful of the two administrative boards of Harvard University, is established as the first legal corporation in the Americas,
Recursive. From my OED app: “/rɪˈkəːsɪv / ▸ adjective characterized by recurrence or repetition. ▪ Mathematics Linguistics relating to or involving the repeated application of a rule, definition, or procedure to successive results: this restriction ensures that the grammar is recursive. ▪ Computing relating to or involving a program or routine of which a part requires the application of the whole, so that its explicit interpretation requires in general many successive executions: a recursive subroutine. –ORIGIN late 18th century (in the general sense): from late Latin recurs- ‘returned’ (from the verb recurrere ‘run back’) + -ive. Specific uses have arisen in the 20th century.” • I’m not sure this entry is as strong as it could be. See the Hacker’s Dictionary:
recursion n.
See recursion. See also tail recursion.
“When AI builds itself” [Anthropic]. “For most of AI’s history, humans drove every step in its development cycle. But at Anthropic, we are delegating a growing share of AI development to AI systems themselves, which is speeding up our work.” If you don’t care about correctness, the opportunities for increasing speed are virtually limitless. More: “Taken far enough, and given enough compute [capital], that trend points to an AI system capable of fully autonomously designing and developing its own successor. This is called recursive self-improvement. We are not there yet, and recursive self-improvement is not inevitable. But it could come sooner than most institutions are prepared for.” • So, meta-autocoprophagy. And the usual ever-receding horizons of returns (ha) at some future date. Also, “improvement” is doing a lot of worj there. Why couldn’t recursive self-enshittification be a thing?
“The Painting That Recognizes Us” [3 Quarks Daily]. “Since Hegel, philosophers have argued that self-consciousness depends on recognition. The self becomes itself not by staring inward, but by encountering itself in another’s response. Nature’s solution is elegant and inescapably social. We are creatures who spend enormous energy modeling each other, predicting, inferring, imagining other minds. And every person in our lives holds a working model of us. Very early in life, we learn to read these models. Through gaze, gesture, tone, and language, we learn to see ourselves through others’ eyes. We learn that our behavior shapes how others see us, which changes what we see when we look at ourselves through their eyes, which, in turn, changes our behavior… This recursive loop forms a network of interdependent modeling in which we are constantly co-creating ourselves and each other. Selfhood is not achieved in isolation and then brought to relationships. It emerges from them. It is a collaborative work in progress.” • The author then goes on to discuss Las Meninas:
The author: “Consider a thought experiment. You step into the painting as the figure in the doorway. You’ve just come down the stairs. You pause, straining your eyes to take in the space. The room is strange, charged with quiet intensity. Everywhere you look, someone is looking somewhere else. The maids attend the Infanta. The Infanta gazes out. Velázquez stares past everyone, toward something beyond the frame. In the far mirror, two ghostly figures watch from nowhere. You turn to the canvas. And the loop closes. Velázquez has painted the room, the Infanta, the maids, the mirror, and the doorway where you stand. He has painted your straining gaze as it arrives at his canvas. He has painted the perfect negative space that only you can fill as you discover that you are part of the painting. You have encountered yourself in the creation of another. It is an act of generative portraiture: the construction of self and other through mutual recognition, embodied in a work of art.” • Hmm.
“Typing a URL Is Deceptively Simple. The Network Is Not” [Silicon Opera]. Well worth a read. “Most people interact with the internet the way they interact with electricity: flip a switch, light comes on, don’t ask questions. Type a URL, hit Enter, page loads. The mental model is a straight line between you and a server somewhere. That model is wrong, and the wrongness is consequential.” More: “Before a single byte of your request travels to a destination server, your browser has to figure out where that server actually lives. The domain name you typed (say, example.com) is a human convenience. The network speaks in IP addresses. DNS is the translation layer. This sounds straightforward until you trace what actually happens. Your browser checks its local cache first. If that misses, your operating system checks its own cache. If that misses, your router might have an answer. If not, the query travels out to a recursive resolver (usually run by your ISP or a service like Google’s 8.8.8.8 or Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1), which in turn may need to walk the DNS hierarchy from root servers through TLD servers to authoritative nameservers, assembling the answer and caching it for the next person who asks. All of this can happen in under 50 milliseconds on a good day. It can also introduce hundreds of milliseconds of latency if caches are cold and the chain is long. DNS failures are a leading cause of outages that look, to users, like the website is ‘down’ when the website’s servers are perfectly healthy.” • And after that it gets complicated.
Dad Joke of the Day: What’s the easiest building to lift? A lighthouse.
250. From Wikipedia: “250 (two hundred [and] fifty) is the natural number following 249 and preceding 251.”
“Trump Family, UFC Selling $12,000 ‘Freedom 250’-Themed Coins Ahead Of White House Fight Night” [HuffPp]. “The medallions are billed as a way to commemorate both America’s 250th birthday and a ‘defining patriotic moment; between Trump and the UFC, per the website of Trump Coins, which says it partners with the Trump Organization and suggests the president ‘designed’ the medallions and other coins.” • America’s Id mints a coin. As America’s Id would do.
“Green Hats and the Number 250” [Chinese Language Blog]. “In Chinese, 250 (二百五 – èr bǎi wǔ) means moron, ignoramus, dumbass — basically it is used to describe an incredibly stupid person. There are many explanations for why this is the case, but the most common relates to ancient Chinese currency. A long time ago, a string of 1,000 copper coins was a unit of currency called a diao (弔). Half of a diao, or 500 coins, was called 半弔子 (bàn diào zi), and this phrase was also used to describe someone with inferior skills and/or mental abilities. Being a very humble and modest bunch, many Chinese scholars would often refer to themselves as ban diao zi. As such, er bai wu, or one quarter of a diao, came to be used as an insult. When bargaining for something in China, shoot for 240 instead of 250. Likewise, for you aspiring English teachers out there, don’t tell prospective clients that you charge 250/hour — you probably won’t pick up too many students that way. Er bai wu has moved out of China’s borders, as it has even made it into the Urban Dictionary!
“250” [Bible Hub]. “The number 250, while not as symbolically rich as some other biblical numbers, is often associated with themes of leadership, authority, and divine judgment. In the case of Korah’s rebellion, the 250 men represented a significant faction within the Israelite community, challenging the established order. Their destruction served as a powerful reminder of the consequences of opposing God’s chosen leaders. In summary, the number 250 in the Bible is primarily linked to the narrative of Korah’s rebellion, illustrating the themes of authority, judgment, and the importance of adhering to divine commands. The presence of this number in other contexts, such as the organization of the Levites, further underscores its association with leadership and service in the religious.” • See Numbers 16:1-35Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face:And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the LORD will shew who are his, and who is holy; and will cause him to come near unto him: even him whom he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him.This do; Take you censers, Korah, and all his company;And put fire therein, and put incense in them before the LORD to morrow: and it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy: ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.And Moses said unto Korah, Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?And he hath brought thee near to him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee: and seek ye the priesthood also?For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab: which said, We will not come up:Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards: wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.And Moses said unto Korah, Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou, and they, and Aaron, to morrow:And take every man his censer, and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers; thou also, and Aaron, each of you his censer.And they took every man his censer, and put fire in them, and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,Speak unto the congregation, saying, Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram; and the elders of Israel followed him.And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children.And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind.If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me.But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense. and Numbers 26:9-11And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD:And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign.Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not. (Korah), and also 1 Chronicles 15:5 (Levites).
Fortune: Killing is stupid; useless! — McCoy, “A Private Little War”, stardate 4211.8
Rogue. From my OED app: “/rəʊɡ / ▸ noun 1 a person whose behaviour one disapproves of but who is nonetheless likeable or attractive: Flynn’s screen reputation as a charming rogue; you old rogue!. ▪ archaic a dishonest or unprincipled person: you are a rogue and an embezzler. 2 an elephant or other large wild animal living apart from the herd and having savage or destructive tendencies. ▪ a seedling or plant deviating from the standard variety. ▸ adjective 1 denoting a person or thing that behaves in an aberrant or unpredictable way, typically with damaging or dangerous effects: rogue elements among the ranks would be dealt with; a rogue cop who took the law into his own hands; he hacked into data and ran rogue programs. 2 (of an elephant or other large wild animal) living apart from the herd and having savage or destructive tendencies: a rogue elephant. ▪ denoting a seedling or plant deviating from the standard variety. ▸ verb [with object] remove inferior or defective plants or seedlings from (a crop): the sowing has to be rogued to remove aberrant seedlings. – ORIGIN mid 16th century (denoting an idle vagrant): probably from Latin rogare ‘beg, ask’, and related to obsolete slang roger ‘vagrant beggar’ (many such cant terms were introduced towards the middle of the 16th century).
“Rogue Parakeet Carries Out Potentially Unstoppable Campaign Of Car Damage” [Jalopnik]. “Residents of Lochardil, Inverness told the BBC that the little green-feathered menace has been pecking away at window seals and the rubbery parts of windshield wipers on their cars, causing thousands of pounds in estimated damages. The bird allegedly targets cars in the area in stints — disappearing for a couple of weeks before returning. Notably, residents will alert the others via shout that he’s at it again.” And: “NatureScot, Scotland’s nature agency, was unsure why the parrot would be eating or dismantling the rubber parts of car, but offered a few theories as to why. One theory is territorial and it’s reacting to its reflection in windows. The bird could also crave the fats and minerals in the rubber. Or, it’s just bored. Although when the sky is not even your limit, the last one is a little difficult to believe.” • Feral paraleets in Scotland!
Here we go:
“Mamdani shrugs off Democratic Party concerns over his ‘Abolish ICE’ push” [FOX]. “ ‘We’re making clear that no one is above the law in this city, that everyone has to follow the rule of law,’ Mamdani said in March. ‘I have made clear to the president, both in our private conversations and our public conversations, about the fact that I believe that ICE is a rogue agency.’” • I’m not sure what the Constitutional status of a rogue agency would be, or if there is one.
“Congress wants to tie the United States to Israel with this new legislation. It’s a trap” [The Intercept[. “[S]ection 224 of the National Defense Authorization Act…would deeply intertwine the US and Israeli militaries by committing to bilateral research and development, co-production of weapons, joint ventures, licensing agreements and an unprecedented integration of the US and Israeli weapons industries.” Support is, naturally, bipartisan. More: “For the Israel-first theorists whose thinking and position papers guided its formulation, it is the proverbial camel’s nose. By making the United States increasingly dependent on Israeli technology – in AI, quantum computing, high-powered lasers, cyberwarfare, anti-drone systems, and other advanced fields – while also transferring America’s most sophisticated technologies to Israeli governments, Israel and its advocates are quietly steering the relationship away from patronage or even partnership and toward something more asymmetrical: a structure designed to harness American power for the aims of “Zionism 2.0”.” But: “Now is the time to say what section 224 of the National Defense Authorization Act really is: not an alliance with a talented and responsible ally that will help keep the US safe, but a trap being set by Israel and its lobby to bind our country to a state that, for all its past promise, has gone rogue.” • Nice flourish at the end.