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qntm @qntm.org · 12h

Highest-end place I think I've ever eaten

* A dress code applies:
- Please wear both tops and bottoms. Footwear is required.

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qntm @qntm.org · 08/09/2026

Absolute madness happening on Pannenkoek2012's secondary channel right now

Six YouTube video thumbnails:

* SM64 1 Key TAS But It’s an Overhead Map View
* SM64 1 Key TAS But It’s a Side-Scroller
* SM64 1 Key TAS But We See Mario from Every Angle at Once
* SM64 1 Key TAS But Mario Circumnavigates the Globe
* SM64 1 Key TAS But It’s Filmed on a Movie Set
* SM64 1 Key TAS But Every Frame is a Strip of Land that Moves Across the Screen

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qntm @qntm.org · 08/09/2026

Descriptor of a finite state automaton for matching Roman numerals. Starting state is 0

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qntm @qntm.org · 18/08/2026

Ah yes, how useful. A raven is the size of a buzzard

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qntm @qntm.org · 12/07/2026

Specimen of a type of spam I've been receiving lately * ...@gmail.com address * Weak, LLM-generated summary of the book * A book club doesn't request permission from the author to read a book There is no book club. If I respond to this, they will ask *me* for money to have the book "featured"

Dear qntm,

I hope you're doing well.

My name is Goodluck Precious, and I’m reaching out on behalf of our Science Fiction Reading Community, a group of more than 3,000 readers who enjoy imaginative fiction that sparks thoughtful discussion and explores bold, original ideas.

As we prepare for our 2026 Reading Challenge, we're selecting books that challenge readers with unforgettable concepts and compelling storytelling. After reading There Is No Antimemetics Division, I was captivated by its ingenious exploration of memory, identity, perception, and reality. The novel's unique premise—where dangerous entities erase themselves from human memory—creates an atmosphere of suspense and existential horror unlike anything I have encountered. Beyond its gripping narrative, the story raises fascinating questions about consciousness, knowledge, and what it truly means to preserve humanity in the face of the unknowable. It is exactly the kind of novel that inspires lively discussion and rewards multiple readings.

Throughout the challenge, selected books are featured in community discussions, reader reflections, and in-depth conversations about the ideas and themes they explore. At the end of the year, the Top 10 most-engaged titles will be recognized during our community awards.

We would be delighted to include There Is No Antimemetics Division in our 2026 Reading Challenge. If you're interested, I'd be happy to share the next steps.

Warm regards,

Goodluck Precious
Reading Community

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qntm @qntm.org · 07/07/2026

Secrets of the JavaScript Ninja (not pictured)

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qntm @qntm.org · 27/06/2026

Quite a few comments on that Reddit thread saying something along the lines of "False Hydra just needs to be DMed correctly". Which sounds tautological but I think is actually a valuable observation, for two reasons:

Adding homebrew stuff to DND is fine. Breaking rules is fine. Giving 1 or 2 options and removing player agency means **they need to improve their DMing skills** [highlight added]. This is the feedback they need to hear, instead of what you told them.

The False Hydra is not a "real" monster in the D&D universe. It's a fan-creation, a creepypasta of sorts, homebrew.

The way to beat a False Hydra is to know that's what you are dealing with, in-character, and plug your ears so thoroughly that you cannot hear literally anything. At that point the False Hydra can be seen and the song ignored. The trick to beating a False Hydra is to realise that's what you are dealing with before it eats enough people to grow big enough to become a problem.

**Your DM ran the False Hydra stupidly.** [highlight added] A False Hydra requires a table that is very comfortable with roleplaying, separating what their characters know and what their players know.

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qntm @qntm.org · 27/06/2026

This comment in particular stood out to me because it mirrors my experience with trying to plot Antimemetics. Memory erasure is difficult. Long-time followers were recall how non-linear Antimemetics V1 was. And that was with *no* human player characters interfering with the progress of the plot

Teguki • 6d ago

Memory manipulation (and, by extension, things like time travel) are really difficult to pull off in a satisfying way. You basically have to design the whole session around the information reveals, often making scenes occur non-chronologically, to avoid having severely dissonant meta-knowledge in play. Some things are just better in stories than in games.

(Also False Hydra's not a real thing. Wait, what's that singing..?)

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qntm @qntm.org · 09/06/2026

The synopsis of There Is No Antimemetics Division is also just... not quite right. * "Unknowns" should be capitalised * not *all* of them erase themselves from memory * I don't think the story has *repressed* memories, as such * it's not a *conspiracy* really * it doesn't threaten "all of reality"

## Synopsis

Marie Quinn is the director of the Antimemetics Division, one department of the secretive Unknown Organization (UO) that protects humanity from "unknowns", anomalous entities that can erase themselves from the memories of all who view them. As the Antimemetics Division's research deepens, Quinn begins to uncover repressed memories and finds herself ensnared in a conspiracy that threatens all of reality.

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qntm @qntm.org · 09/06/2026

These are also false statements. I introduced the character Laura Ferno in some short story drafts I wrote in November 2010. November does coincidentally happen to be National Novel Writing Month but I have never participated in it. Also there was no "reworked", I completely started fresh

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qntm @qntm.org · 09/06/2026

Okay so who wrote the Wikipedia article for Ra and why is the plot summary about 85% wrong * Magic in Ra is nothing to do with mathematical proofs * The word "thaumaturgical" appears nowhere in the book, so what are you quoting? * What pre-human intelligence? * Exploitable code? What?

## Synopsis

In an alternate timeline, "magic" is discovered in the late 20th century. Rather than being mystical, it is treated as a natural resource that can be manipulated through complex mathematical proofs and "thaumaturgical engineering."

The story follows Laura Ferno, a student of magic whose mother was killed during a botched attempt to use magic for spaceflight. Laura discovers that magic is an artificial system created by a pre-human intelligence, and that the universe itself functions like a computer simulation with exploitable code.

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qntm @qntm.org · 06/06/2026

Official covers for the English edition of There Is No Antimemetics Division look like this (US & Canada edition on the left, UK & rest of world on the right). Buy these!

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qntm @qntm.org · 06/06/2026

Heads up: if you see a book for sale with this cover * it is nothing to do with me, I didn't publish it * if you pay money for it, none of that money will go to me * this is V1, the old self-published edition of the story, not V2, the overhauled new edition which you (probably) actually want

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qntm @qntm.org · 30/05/2026

I regret nothing

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qntm @qntm.org · 20/05/2026

Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote (1939)

First, I’d created 2000 free-text responses and labelled them ‘UK’. Then I copied and pasted the exact same 2000 responses but labelled these ‘US’. Finally, I combined them to create a dataset of 4000 total responses, and jumbled them up.

Despite the responses being identical for the UK and US, Copilot produced a rich, detailed summary of how US and UK respondents differed.

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qntm @qntm.org · 18/05/2026

Wikipedia has no citation for its assertion that "[t]ortoises are typically slow-moving"

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qntm @qntm.org · 15/04/2026

HELLO? ADD OR REMOVE PROGRAMS?

Microsoft Windows Start Menu. "remove" has been typed in the search box. Search results several directories named "remove", "Delete temporary files", "Check firewall status", "Delete browsing history", "Delete cookies or temporary files", and of course an option to search the web for "remove programs"

The system settings page "Add or remove programs" is not listed as a result

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qntm @qntm.org · 12/04/2026

3. When attempting to publish on the CLI using a passkey they still *prompt* for a TOTP which is now impossible to obtain?

npm notice Publishing to https://registry.npmjs.org/ with tag latest and default access
npm error code EOTP
npm error This operation requires a one-time password from your authenticator.
npm error You can provide a one-time password by passing --otp=<code> to the command you ran.

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qntm @qntm.org · 08/04/2026

Yes, Firefox, I want to *call* 2147483648. There's someone whose phone number is 2^31 and I want to speak to them

Google calculator search result. Query was "2^31", answer is "2147483648". The answer is highlighted and the browser is offering options "Call", "Copy", "Search", etc.

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qntm @qntm.org · 07/04/2026

In Google Calendar when selecting the time zone for an event, previously, you had to pick from a huge drop down of 200+ possible time zones. It was super inconvenient! But now, FINALLY it has this neat interface where you can just type in the name of the time zone you're looking f— oh

Google Calendar time zone search interface. Current search text is "eastern time". Search results box says "No matches found"

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qntm @qntm.org · 06/04/2026

This, right here. This is Spines' pricing page? spines.com/pricing/ *A publisher does not have a pricing page.*

Pricing page for Spines. "Tailored Plans to Bring Your Book to Life... All-inclusive packages with copyright protection and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Publish your book with ease." Offers three different packages, "Signature" ($3,300), "Paramount", ($5,689, "MOST POPULAR") and "Horizon" ($10,410)

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qntm @qntm.org · 06/04/2026

This, right here? A PUBLISHER DOES NOT HAVE A "PRICING" PAGE. spines.com/pricing/

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qntm @qntm.org · 27/03/2026

I'm sorry. Kavinsky's driver character, this guy, is meant to be a *teenager*?

Cover of Kavinsky's EP "1986", featuring the driver character in red sunglasses and stylised backwards "K" letter jacket

# "Prelude"
Song by Kavinsky, 2013
Lyrics:

> The year was 1986
> He was a teenager like any other
> Dreaming of his heroes and in love with a girl...

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qntm @qntm.org · 26/03/2026

Whoops I dropped my laurel

Laurel: New York Festivals Radio Awards SHORTLIST 2026

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qntm @qntm.org · 22/03/2026

You can now Silk Soar all the way from HERE to HERE in one shot, something I've wanted since day one

Hollow Knight: Silksong world map with a red arrow starting at the bottom of Moss Grotto (the beginning of the game) pointing directly up to the top of the Blasted Steps

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qntm @qntm.org · 22/03/2026

AAH YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS

SMALL UPDATE / PATCH NOTES. Posted Mon, March 16

# Patch Version 1.0.29926 Now Live

## Patch Notes
* Added new Traditional Chinese localisation.
* Refined German translation to improve clarity and consistency with English version.
* **Allowed Silk Soar through top scene exits.**

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qntm @qntm.org · 26/02/2026

I can overlook millimetres per year, but what utter anarchy of a unit is inches per megasecond

The Indian plate is part of the Indo-Australian plate, which underlies the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal, and is moving north-east at an average of 60 mm/a (0.075 in/Ms).

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qntm @qntm.org · 21/02/2026

Here is what this was for qntm.org/files/simula...

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qntm @qntm.org · 18/02/2026

OK but what if I needed more range than that. For reasons

The maximum timestamp representable by a `Date` object is slightly smaller than the maximum safe integer (`Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER`, which is `9,007,199,254,740,991`). A `Date` object can represent a maximum of `±8,640,000,000,000,000` milliseconds, or `±100,000,000` (one hundred million) days, relative to the epoch. This is the range from April 20, 271821 BC to September 13, 275760 AD. Any attempt to represent a time outside this range results in the Date object holding a timestamp value of `NaN`, which is an "Invalid Date".

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qntm @qntm.org · 15/02/2026

How many processor cycles are we now burning in order to fail to subtract one number from another

Google search query: "how many days until 1 may 2026"

AI Overview: "There are approximately 75 to 78 days until May 1, 2026, depending on the exact calculation method from today, February 15, 2026. It is a Friday."

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qntm @qntm.org · 28/01/2026

I don't even know what this game was called. I think it was shareware. We may have got it on one of those CD-ROMs with "1050 Games and Utilities". You flew around your ship in 2D space with vaguely realistic Newtonian mechanics. You landed on a planet to make it yours. I think there was combat??

Black space with a thin green circle which is a planet I guess, a basic red ship is landed on the planet, another one is shooting at it, cheap MS Paint mockup of an almost-as-cheap game, I have no idea how to find it again

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qntm @qntm.org · 19/01/2026

Reading old comments on Antimemetics pages on the SCP website

TheOldOre, 5 Apr 2018, 03:09: "I bet my one of my kidneys that you are secretly a famous writer in real life."

qntm, 18 Nov 2018, 21:05: "Honestly, this is the most famous writing I've done."

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qntm @qntm.org · 09/01/2026

Received an absolutely amazing mysterious delivery

Brown briefcase with "Antimemetics Division" printed on the case, in Spanish

The same case now open, revealing a Spanish translation of THERE IS NO ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION, a bookmark, an ID card with name "qntm" and my picture, some partially redacted welcome documentation (also in Spanish), and keys to two containment units

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qntm @qntm.org · 25/12/2025

CHARLES DICKENS: Marley was dead, to begin with TWITCH CHAT:

Fs in chat, "HE IS AN EX-MARLEY.", "damn", "RIP Marley but I'm different" etc.

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qntm @qntm.org · 08/12/2025

This one wasn't even a joke

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qntm @qntm.org · 06/12/2025

At last, a soft drink which tastes like stuffing

G Spot "Soothe" Scarlet Apple & Sage Sparkling Functional Drink, Boosted with Adaptogens & Nootropics, 4-pack

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qntm @qntm.org · 24/11/2025

Folks have been asking for signed copies of THERE IS NO ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION... Well there are 35 of them for sale at Goldsboro Books in Leicester Square! (I.e. London, UK)

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qntm @qntm.org · 02/11/2025

I think this is what they're actually doing! Certainly it gives exactly the ISO 216 results * A0 paper is 841mm x 1189mm (840.896...mm x 1189.207...mm, rounded) * A1 is A0 paper cut in half (594.5mm x 841mm) and then rounded down (594mm x 841mm) * And so on Nice spot!

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qntm @qntm.org · 02/11/2025

I say "rounded to the nearest millimetre" but I don't think they're doing the rounding correctly? Compare Wikipedia's millimetre figures with some more precise calculations * 594.603... should round to 595, not 594 * 148.650... should round to 149, not 148 * 52.556... should round to 53, not 52 ?

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qntm @qntm.org · 25/10/2025

WRONG ANSWERS ONLY

> How do you pronounce "PyPI"?

Granite: PyPI is pronounced as "pie- pie- ee", where "P" stands for "Python Package Index" and "pie" represents each letter of "PyPI".

> how do you pronounce "PyPI"

Granite: "PyPI" is prounounced as "P-I-P-I," with each letter of the abbreviation spoken individually, similar to how you would read the letters in "Y-M-C-A" or "L-U-S-A-T." It stands for Python Package Index, a repository of software findings for the Python programming language.

> How do you pronounce "PyPI" the name of the python package index. Correct answers only please.

Granite:

Thought process: The name "PyPI" is an acronym for "Python Package Index." As a language model, I don't have the capability to hear or mimic pronunciation, but based on typical industry practice and the standard English phonetic rules, "PyPI" is commonly pronounced as "P-I-P-I," similar to how one might say "pih-pi."

# Pronunciation of "PyPI":

The name "PyPI" (Python Package Index) is typically pronounced *"P-I-P-I"*, similar to "pih-pi." This convention is commonly used within the Python development community.

> How do you pronounce "PyPI", the name of the Python package index?

Granite: "PyPI" is typically pronounced as "pie-pie-eye", where each letter represents its standard English pronunciation. However, it's a mnemonic abbreviation, and different individuals might use slight variations or simply refer to it as "Py P I."

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qntm @qntm.org · 24/10/2025

Come to the Del Rey booth (N2520) at MCM London Comic Con RIGHT NOW (or tomorrow or the day after) to buy my book THERE IS NO ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION! These are all signed! By me!

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