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Anand Sarwate (he/him)

@ergodicwalk

Randomly transitioning between information theory, ML, privacy, statistics, and other destinations. Not using \mathbb in a logo.

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23.07.2023
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Latest posts by Anand Sarwate (he/him) @ergodicwalk

something something K-theory for disassociative algebra

06.03.2026 18:26 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The fact that EDAS cannot handle $$ for LaTeX markup is just gross incompetence on the part of the designers. OFC, it's also a terrible product in so many other ways...

27.02.2026 14:53 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Maria Hernandez Park in Bushwick, I think. Doubt I can make it before it melts...

24.02.2026 21:00 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
post by Rutger Bregman (@rutgerbregman.com‬) 

reads: Absolutely brilliant piece about the Left's TOTAL blindness on AI. Their dismissal of AI risks mirrors how climate deniers treat CO2. 

Will probably get a lot of nastiness for this on Bluesky, but I guess that's part of the same problem.

post by Rutger Bregman (@rutgerbregman.com‬) reads: Absolutely brilliant piece about the Left's TOTAL blindness on AI. Their dismissal of AI risks mirrors how climate deniers treat CO2. Will probably get a lot of nastiness for this on Bluesky, but I guess that's part of the same problem.

i shouldn’t give this piece any more attention than it has already garnered but i feel like it is worth pointing out some flaws in the argument/unquestioned assumptions

thread 1/

18.02.2026 16:46 πŸ‘ 443 πŸ” 186 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 33

Data should not be allowed to drive until it is 16 years old. Moreover, it should have a permit if it will be involved in learning.

20.02.2026 16:08 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

My most influential educator was my grade school librarian, Dorothy Vickers-Shelley. She made us recite a pledge each time:

"Life is short. Therefore I shall be a crusader in the fight against ignorance and fear, beginning with myself."

Engraved on me at age 5: a charge that I aspire to fulfill.

20.02.2026 01:17 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Shame on the preemptive compliance, especially from Rutgers, right @ruaaup-aft.bsky.social ?

19.02.2026 02:43 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Got an email/newsletter using Lena as an example image. It's 2026. C'mon, people.

06.02.2026 17:14 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Someone should gift my senator, Chuck Schumer, a copy of Max Frisch’s Biedermann und die Brandstifter.

I am guessing he does not know German, but I can’t find a translation in Spinelesscowardese so maybe English will have to do.

Perhaps he will need some Cliffβ€˜s Notes.

27.01.2026 06:22 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

This thread brought to you by being on too many search committees and being tired of having my time wasted. I'm more angry at the candidate's advisor(s), who likely never told them this, thinking it's "obvious" or "back in my day we didn't have Zoom interviews..."

27.01.2026 00:49 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Basically: do your homework and think through how *this job* and not just *any job* is right for you. If you can't be bothered to do that, will you even be able to write a grant proposal?

Finally: you don't know what it's like here. Ask questions! Be curious! Show you're interested!

27.01.2026 00:49 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

There is no notion of "safety school". If you sound like you'd take an offer while holding your nose, it will be pretty clear.

It's also clear if you try obvious/trite hyperbole: "I want to come because you are a world-class institution!"

27.01.2026 00:49 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

This is not saying that if you have reasons you don't want to disclose (e.g. partner has a job in the area, a.k.a. the "two body problem" [this term is dumb, stop using it!]) you should reveal them. But if you say something super generic it will sound like you already think we are mid.

27.01.2026 00:49 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

My department is definitely not top-10 in the rankings. We also don't have a ton of resources for on-campus interviews.

If you are not actually serious about accepting an offer, we won't bother interviewing you. There are tons of excellent candidates.

27.01.2026 00:49 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

In case anyone is on the academic job market and has an upcoming online video interview:
* do some research on the department: what classes can you teach, who can you collaborate with?
* be able to answer "why do you want to come here" with something more concrete than "because you are great..."

27.01.2026 00:49 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

ICLR AC: "The scores were too low, reject. Reviewer A's score was the lowest."
Also ICLR AC: "Reviewer A was marked as AI generated."
Also also ICLR AC: "Reviewer A is unlikely to raise their score."

It's ok to reject the paper, but come on...

26.01.2026 15:43 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Action, Ease & Personalization: AI Chatbot News Experiences How habitual AI chatbot users in the US and India stay informed

My partner @drnycnerd.bsky.social and co-authors from @cnti.bsky.social published a report on how people use LLM-based chatbots to get the news (even if it is wrong).

cnti.org/reports/chat...

22.01.2026 13:13 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

β€œWhen we use terms like β€˜output,’ β€˜feedback,’ ’interface,’ and β€˜networking’ to express the transactions of everyday life, we reveal how thoroughly artificial things now shape our sense of human being.” -Langdon Winner, β€œThe Whale and the Reactor” (Preface)

03.01.2026 02:43 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

But how does my new mayor feel about zoning for combination pizza hut and taco bells?

01.01.2026 07:55 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
The Critic - "L'Artiste est Morte"
The Critic - "L'Artiste est Morte" YouTube video by RoflRadicalRaddish

Bezos calling his new startup Prometheus just makes me think of Jay Sherman's college film. I'll just call it "Promotheus" from now on.

17.11.2025 14:23 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I didn't even graduate that long ago (2008) and when I heard this was the norm in some fields I was horrified.

16.11.2025 20:42 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I would argue that this is also now true of (wireless) communication technologies. Like plumbing in that way.

14.11.2025 19:21 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Does that make the OpenAI erotic chatbots... metrosexual?

30.10.2025 19:22 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.

Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧡

30.10.2025 08:06 πŸ‘ 8341 πŸ” 2710 πŸ’¬ 343 πŸ“Œ 788

TFW you open a new browser tab and your fingers automatically type "overleaf.c" + tab.

30.09.2025 01:18 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The line between satire and reality has blurred even further

18.09.2025 23:50 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Google AI search result for β€œwas 2010 fifteen years ago?” returning: β€œNo, 2010 was 14 years ago, not 15 years ago. The current year is 2025, and to find the number of years ago 2010 was, you subtract 2010 from 2025, which equals 14. 
Current Year: 2025
Past Year: 2010
Years Ago: 2025 - 2010 = 14 years”

Google AI search result for β€œwas 2010 fifteen years ago?” returning: β€œNo, 2010 was 14 years ago, not 15 years ago. The current year is 2025, and to find the number of years ago 2010 was, you subtract 2010 from 2025, which equals 14. Current Year: 2025 Past Year: 2010 Years Ago: 2025 - 2010 = 14 years”

Good news about the cutting-edge AI tools from the $3-trillion-dollar company.

02.09.2025 00:10 πŸ‘ 8511 πŸ” 2151 πŸ’¬ 245 πŸ“Œ 334
Mousepad from #ISIT 1998, the International Symposium on Information Theory, in honor of Claude E. Shannon 1948 paper, "A mathematical theory of communication"

Mousepad from #ISIT 1998, the International Symposium on Information Theory, in honor of Claude E. Shannon 1948 paper, "A mathematical theory of communication"

Worn, vintage yet precious to my heart. Souvenir: a mousepad from #ISIT 1998, the International Symposium on Information Theory, in honor of Claude E. Shannon 1948 paper, "A mathematical theory of communication", where I was a lucky voluntary student.

01.09.2025 16:53 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
The evening primrose from Five Flower Songs - Benjamin Britten, John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers
The evening primrose from Five Flower Songs - Benjamin Britten, John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers YouTube video by John Rutter & The Cambridge Singers

There is a lovely set of choral pieces by Britten, the flower songs, and The Evening Primrose is a balm:

youtu.be/fCEr1tIvDe4?...

29.08.2025 19:40 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The Banal Evil of AI Safety Chatbot companies are harmful and dishonest. How can we hold them accountable?

This. Actually this.

www.argmin.net/p/the-banal-...

28.08.2025 20:39 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0