Brian Wiesner

• “It’s well known that telling and retelling one’s past leads to changes, smoothings, enhancements, shifts away from the facts ( ‘reconsolidation’ ) ... isn’t just a charged psychological foible. It turns out to be an inevitable neurophysiological consequence of the process of laying down memories that every studied conscious recall of past events b

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A very common trope is to treat LLMs as if they were intelligent agents going out in the world and doing things. That’s just a category mistake. A much better way of thinking about them is as a technology that allows humans to access information from many other humans and use that information to make decisions. We have been doing this for as long a... See more

There is a commonplace opinion that technology and the natural world, or that technological pursuits and natural pursuits, are at odds. An example:

“The longer you spend in tech, the stronger the urge to buy a farm and never touch a computer again in your life”

What we forget, however, is that the story of the Starving Artist is a myth. And like all myths, it may be a powerful story, one we can orient our entire lives around.

But God, that loss— that feeling . I am grieving something I never knew. I am grieving that giddy excitement over waiting for and playing a new vinyl for the first time, when now we instantly stream songs on YouTube, use Spotify with no waiting, and skip impatiently through new albums. I am grieving the anticipation of going to the movies, when all... See more

Legalizing Dense Development is the Single Most Effective Solution to the Housing Crisis

We Now Have Clear Proof that Building Dramatically Really Does Lower Rents, and it Works Quickly

I am very affected by place. Actually I think everyone is. Probably more than they realize.

Our surroundings act on us. Some foster chaos, others encourage enchantment. Broad landscapes, beautiful artwork, and ancient architecture fill people with awe. Office buildings with drop ceilings and an unimaginative palette of gray, screeching subways, and... See more

One of the greatest lessons from Jacobs is that only someone from outside the industry is capable of smacking a hornet’s nest in a way that brings about transformational change.