iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

It's time to end mandatory homework (hooray!). andrewglassner.substack.com/p/goodbye-ho...

Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 22/09/2026

Two boys, a challenging task, and then a jerk comes along to make it even harder. Does it all turn out okay? Find out in this month's Castle Tales: The Bogsweep. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/castle-tal...

A stained-glass window showing a man dressed in green in a boggy swamp, standing in front of a wagon.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 17/09/2026

AI is showing up throughout our culture. How do we thoughtfully choose when this is desirable and when it's not? Consider the purpose, process, and payoff of the activity. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/purpose-pr...

Two sunlit hikers walking along a mountain crest, seen from behind. We see the mountains and the cloudy sky above.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 15/09/2026

The Aesop’s fables you know was not originally for kids. These stories was written by Aesop when he was runnin’ a crime syndicate to teach new blood comin’ into the gang how things really work. The link's got the real Tortoise and the Hare. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/true-aesop...

andrewglassner.substack.com

True Aesop's Fables: The Tortoise and the Hare

The Olive Aims High

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 10/09/2026

What's all this fuss about Artificial General Intelligence (or AGI)? Does that phrase even mean anything? Not really! andrewglassner.substack.com/p/tech-words...

andrewglassner.substack.com

Tech Words Mean Anything (and Nothing)

Bopperousness!

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 08/09/2026

Book club! Novels I've enjoyed and recommend: swashbuckling adventure on the high seas, misadventures of stealing a saint's bones in 1087, a quiet story of time travel, lunatic adventures in Florida, and an incredible mystery-solving duo in another world. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/book-club-...

Covers of three novels: The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, Nicked, and Sea of Tranquility

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 07/09/2026

Cheap books! My book "Quantum Computing: From Concepts to Code" is part of a terrific new Humble Bundle with other great books. Part of the proceeds go to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. www.humblebundle.com/books/think-...

humblebundle.com

Humble Tech Book Bundle: Think Like a Programmer 2026 by No Starch Press

Think like a programmer and move like a programmer with a collection of learning courses from the experts at No Starch Press!

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 01/09/2026

Yes friends, it's the month's first Tuesday and that means another thrilling adventure from Jack Hammer, America's Best-Dressed Gumshoe! Today's mystery: The Actress of Doom. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/jack-hamme...

An open-backed fruit delivery truck on a dirt road in a dry climate, filled with melons. Sleeping in the back of the truck is a 1950's detective, fully dressed in his suit, tie, and hat.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 26/08/2026

The conclusion of Dogs Big and Small, in which our narrator evens the score. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/castle-tal...

A stained glass window showing a joyful young prince the moment after he has pushed a young peasant boy into a mud puddle

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 25/08/2026

New series! A rogue tells tales of his extraordinary life, starting with his childhood at the Castle Canigulus, the estate of His Glorious Misbegotten Majesty, Luis d'Esplosiva Manticorean, the Fussy Duke. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/castle-tal...

A stained-glass window of a young boy in a castle courtyard. He holds a bucket and shovel as he contemplates a small lump of dog feces.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 18/08/2026

New series! The Aesop’s fables you know was not originally for kids. These stories was written by Aesop when he was runnin’ a crime syndicate to teach new blood comin’ into the gang how things really work. The link's got the real Ant and the Grasshopper. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/true-aesop...

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 12/08/2026

Every day we're surrounded by beeps, from toasters and microwaves to cars and elevators. And they're all the same beep! Here's why: andrewglassner.substack.com/p/beep

A row of identical robins singing an identical note

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 05/08/2026

There's a beautiful idea called partial measurement. It comes from a cool new field called quantum computing. This post shares the idea with you, but there no math and no physics - all you'll need is imagination. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/partial-me...

A row of identical blue shirts hanging in a closet.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 29/07/2026

New! The transcribed case files of Jack Hammer, America's Best-Dressed Gumshoe. Today's story: The Man Who Reached Too Far andrewglassner.substack.com/p/the-case-f...

A 1940's private eye sleeping on the floor of a wooden elevator. He is fully dressed in his suit, shoes, tie, and hat.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 15/07/2026

There are beautiful mosaics laid into the sidewalks of Vancouver, BC. Here's a new roundup of those I've found. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/mosaics-of...

Two colorful sidewalk mosaics from Vancouver, BC.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 08/07/2026

In "Five Habits That Will Transform Your Wretched Shell Of A Body Into An Atomic Dynamo!" I will show you, for free, the health secrets that will change your life! andrewglassner.substack.com/p/five-habit...

A young woman who is happy, ecstatic, thrilled, exuberant, deli rious, head thrown back, shouting with overwhelming happiness, fists pumping in waves of joy

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 01/07/2026

New Substack post! Have you ever had trouble opening a container with wet hands? It's a problem that's easy to solve - and lots of designers have done it! Let's look at some solutions. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/one-good-t...

Three containers with smooth plastic lids that need to be turned.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 25/06/2026

What's up with AI "hallucinations"? Are they a just a temporary annoyance that we're gradually cleaning up? Nope! "Chatbots Hallucinate Everything, Always" on Substack. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/ai-halluci...

A photograph of a market stand featuring many varieties of apples.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 17/06/2026

Another new Substack post? Yes indeed! "For Your Security" asks the questions that really matter to protect your identity. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/for-your-s...

A color photograph of multiple stairways at strange angles heading down to an observation point over a body of water

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 10/06/2026

New Substack post! "Writing A Novel, Part 1: Discovery" describes my process for writing the first phase of my new novel. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/writing-a-...

A color photograph of a woman in a kayak in open water, with high rugged mountains in the distance.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 03/06/2026

New Substack post! "Mosaics of Vancouver, BC." Some of the beautiful, hand-made mosaics embedded in the city's sidewalks. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/mosaics-of...

Left: A mosaic of the Lion's Gate Bridge, with a boat passing underneath. Right: A mosaic of a huge red-and-gold dragon being carried aloft by many people in a parade.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 27/05/2026

New Substack Post! "Who Am Us, Anyway?" When you're playing a video game, are you the character, or are you you? andrewglassner.substack.com/p/who-am-us-...

A color synthetic photo of a scarecrow in an elevator that has mirrors in front of him and behind him. He is taking a selfie. We see the endless chain of images of the scarecrow's front and back creating reflections.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 13/05/2026

New Substack post! "Home Slopping Network" - bring AI into your home! andrewglassner.substack.com/p/home-slopp...

A composite color photograph of a sheep with a wolf's head, standing in a field.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 06/05/2026

New Substack post! Car talk. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/car-talk

A color photo of a bridge over a river. It's winter, and snow is falling. Photo by Spencer Shellborn, https://www.pexels.com/photo/bridge-above-river-in-winter-landscape-15325640/

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 29/04/2026

New substack post! "Do Chatbots Have Emotions?" andrewglassner.substack.com/p/do-chatbot...

A photo of two pieces of burnt toast on a white plate with blue stripes. The text above reads "Do Chatbots Have Emotions?" The text below reads "Open Season" and "andrewglassner.substack.com".

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 22/04/2026

New Substack Post! The Babblemumble Cube. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/the-babble...

A photo of an old-fashioned typesetter's box showing the wood-and-metal slugs for different letters.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 17/04/2026

Huge reply URLs embedded in email are wild. I just got mail to rate a product, and the link was 697 seemingly random characters long. Each character can be at least 64 values (A-Z,a-z,0-9,-,+) or 6 bits, so this is over 4000 bits of data. That's just nuts and I'm suspicious of what they're sending.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 15/04/2026

Crime Boss: Did ya take out that meddling politician like what I told you? Underling: Sure did boss, I took him to Rudy's, and I think we might have a second date!

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 15/04/2026

New substack post! The crazy naming system in Borderlands games. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/baroque-no...

A color photo from inside a ridiculously ornate building. Gold filigree and marble excess is everywhere.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 08/04/2026

New Substack post! Book Club, Volume 1. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/book-club-...

Three book covers, all written by Ursula K. Le Guin: The Lathe of Heaven, The Dispossessed, and The Left Hand of Darkness.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 04/04/2026

"Place pizza on a baking sheet," the box said. "Nah," I said, "It'll be fine."

A photo of a pizza disaster, showing the inside of an oven. A frozen pizza was placed directly on the top wire shelf and it melted down to the bottom of the oven. Most of the outer crust remains on the shelf, with streamers of cheese hanging down from it. On the bottom of the oven is a molten glob of cheese and other pizza stuff.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 02/04/2026

🎶 "The farmer takes a wife, The farmer takes a wife, Hey-ho, the derry-o, The farmer takes a wife." Dating was a lot easier before the internet.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 02/04/2026

Soon audio and video will join text as untrustworthy records of actual events. Our culture isn't ready. andrewglassner.substack.com/p/the-end-of...

andrewglassner.substack.com

The End of Evidence

History on Demand

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 27/03/2026

I wish that my body would tell me - say at 3AM, suddenly and intensely - that I ate cheese during dinner but forgot to take lactose tablets.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 25/03/2026

A new Open Season post! A perfectly normal day. open.substack.com/pub/andrewgl...

open.substack.com

Minion's Comp

Recorded May 13

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 16/03/2026

I went to Staples and bought rubber bands. I feel like I got away with something.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 13/03/2026

A little-known fact: the musical notes are named for their inventors: A for Tiberius Alouette B for Sarah Barnacle-on-Stafford C for Frederico Henrow Scrunnulus Coperville etc.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 12/03/2026

Since the dawn of time, people have thought about interesting ideas and wondered, "What does Andrew think about this?" We can finally answer that question! Check out Open Season, my new Substack, at andrewglassner.substack.com Tech, games, ideas, art, humor, and no politics.

A cartoon image of a tree in a forest. A wooden board is nailed to the tree at a slight angle. On the board are the words "Open Season". Below that is the URL andrewglassner.substack.com. The image is a collage of modified public domain art from the web. The typeface is Mirisch, regular weight.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 03/03/2026

Just finished The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry. Beautiful. It feels the way I imagine it would feel to be in a dim Irish bar, rain falling outside, a fire in the corner, and someone next to you, with a glass of drink and a gorgeous gift of language, turned and told you a story.

The cover of the novel The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry. It shows small silhouettes of man and woman on a horse on a brown field. Behind them the field rises in to a mountain, and the sun is visible to the side, all together forming an abstracted heart.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 23/02/2026

My Psychology Today credit card offers Freud and Identity Monitoring.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 22/02/2026

Halloo, Halloo! The monkey's done in! The chipmunk cried With a mighty grin.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 03/02/2026

Video games: Only you can stop this urgent, imminent global catastrophe! NOW! Also, run errands for NPCs and talk through their personal issues, collect some flowers and stuff, and explore the environment. But also urgently stop the world-ending cataclysm that's already happening!

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 05/01/2026

You're a writer with a protagonist who is brilliant, confident, and faces challenges to their ambitions. If you're a selfish loon you write Atlas Shrugged. If you're a thoughtful soul you write The Dispossessed.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 03/01/2026

Regardless of what your crazy uncle (or cabinet member) believes, scientists love well-informed, good-faith sceptics. "The sceptical groups are, in my opinion, the best thing that ever happened ... They forced the field to dig deeper." www.newscientist.com/article/2493...

newscientist.com

The crucial role of chaos in our brain’s most extraordinary functions

That the human mind treads a delicate line between order and disorder is a radical idea that’s gaining traction - and is changing our understanding of intelligence, consciousness and creativity

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 02/01/2026

Broadly speaking, math is about numbers as literature is about alphabets.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 29/12/2025

A beautiful song, in its original, intended simplicity. Haunting. www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfVA...

youtube.com

The Long And Winding Road (Naked Version / Remastered 2013)

YouTube video by The Beatles - Topic

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 29/12/2025

I bought Metronome for my phone and it’s just clicks with no interaction, loot, or achievements. Lousy game.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 27/12/2025

New project! My test/debug image became my first image, and I'm super happy. Onward! (Fine print: Houdini w/ custom nodes running my own code. No reaction-diffusion sim, no textures, no transparency.)

A 3D image rendered in Houdini. A yellow ball sits inside a larger, red ball. The yellow ball has a texture like thick paste. The red ball seems to be made of many small and large worms on its surface.

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Andrew Glassner @glassner.com · 22/12/2025

A "MacGuffin" is a thing that characters want - a noun. It often doesn't matter what it actually is. Video game quests are often: "go to X & turn on/off Y" where the specifics of X and Y are secondary to the gameplay. They feel like MacGuffins but verbs. Is there an industry standard word for this?

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