Fahrenheit 451: Keeping in mind that this was published over 70 years ago, it's remarkably contemporary. The story itself is okay, but the message beneath it is very nicely presented, and I had forgotten how beautiful the evocative descriptions were.
![``` r
inner <- function(x, i, j, ..., z = FALSE) {
message("inner nargs: ", nargs(), "\n---")
}
inner(0, 1, 2)
#> inner nargs: 3
#> ---
direct <- function(x, i, j, ..., z = TRUE) {
message("outer nargs: ", nargs(), "\n---")
inner(x, i, j, ..., z = TRUE)
}
# this produces inconsistent nargs
direct(0, 1, 2)
#> outer nargs: 3
#> ---
#> inner nargs: 4
#> ---
docall <- function(x, i, j, ..., z = TRUE) {
message("outer nargs: ", nargs(), "\n---")
do.call(inner, as.list(match.call()[-1]))
}
# this produces the same nargs
docall(0, 1, 2)
#> outer nargs: 3
#> ---
#> inner nargs: 3
#> ---
```
<sup>Created on 2026-02-16 with [reprex v2.1.1](https://reprex.tidyverse.org)</sup>](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xh3khijegwjfitciq7vjxguw/bafkreigos24qitdfvcpi7su5p4rxyilfg3ms5xchdqfb5yxyxbpvepgl3q)
![# date locally
local <- as.POSIXct("2025-06-04")
# date in UTC
utc <- as.POSIXct("2025-06-04", tz = "UTC")
# convert to integer
(a <- as.integer(utc))
#> [1] 1748995200
# number of seconds since the epoch
(b <- as.integer(format(utc, "%s")))
#> [1] 1748961000
# difference
(a - b) / 60 / 60
#> [1] 9.5
utc - local
#> Time difference of 9.5 hours](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xh3khijegwjfitciq7vjxguw/bafkreifqgvdz4wy6urnn5gbq27dpucfom634iz4p6dmp2eugg6tjalfkpq)
![ghci> let x = [1, 2, 3]
ghci> let y = [4, 5, 6]
ghci> x + y
<interactive>:3:1: error: [GHC-39999]
• No instance for ‘Num [Integer]’ arising from a use of ‘it’
• In the first argument of ‘print’, namely ‘it’
In a stmt of an interactive GHCi command: print it
ghci> import Linear
ghci> x ^+^ y
[5,7,9]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xh3khijegwjfitciq7vjxguw/bafkreids6aml3bipa6c7wvuzvubu6z3esdqzej5cqpzef3trhii45qpdaa)
![Extract from The Loop: "In fact, just standing in court, your or I would likely be under the gaze of an algorithm. [...] are in use in forty-six states and DC [...]"](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:xh3khijegwjfitciq7vjxguw/bafkreia3lsu6ftvv5t236w2fruliknb36jjac5n2sstdgp6fue3fanvg2m)