Adam Engst

Casual cruelty

Is it okay to dress your cat in a ridiculous costume?

What about giving a poodle a haircut that subjects him to ridicule?

The cat and the dog probably don’t know or care, but we think less of their person if it happens.

At Disney, the costumed characters need security guards. Kids (and more often) adults would bother or even pinch the... See more

Create a document, several pages long, that explains who you are. What sort of learner are you? Do you have degrees or expertise? What sort of change are you making, who works with you, what are your standards? How do you want to engage?

Periodically, upload the doc to the chat you’re having with an LLM. Let it know you’re offering a reminder of how... See more

Productivity, AI and pushback

Typesetters did not like the laser printer. Wedding photographers still hate the iphone. And some musicians are outraged that AI is now making mediocre pop music.

One group of esteemed authors is demanding that book publishers refuse to use AI in designing book covers, recording audiobooks or a range of other tasks.

As... See more

Trusting AI

For generations, humans have been entrusting their lives to computers. Air Traffic Control, statistical analysis of bridge resilience, bar codes for drug delivery, even the way stop lights are controlled. But computers aren’t the same as the LLMs that run on them.

Claude.ai is my favorite LLM, but even Claude makes errors. Should we wait... See more

Notes to myself

1. The system can be changed and normal is not permanent


2. Find the smallest viable audience


3. Pick your customers, pick your future


4. Outdated maps might be worth less than no map at all


5. Reliability is a superpower


6. There are no side effects, merely effects


7. There’s usually an opportunity to be of service


8. Silence is an option, and so is leadership


9. T

... See more

Run as many miles a week as you can without compromising your overall physical and mental health, relationships, and other pursuits that are important to you. Most of it (~70-80%) should be relatively easy. The other 20-30% should be challenging but within yourself. Finish most of your workouts feeling like you could do another rep or two or go a... See more

You have a drawer full of USB cables. Half are junk that barely charge your phone. The other half transfer data at full speed. But which is which?

Android Studio solved this. Recent versions warn you when you connect a slow cable to your phone:

developers.android.com

I wanted this for the command line. So I “built”1 usbi, a script to check your USB... See more