Sign in

rob pike

@robpike.io
57K followers 98 following 916 posts

Long career as a dilettante at Bell Labs Research and Google, mostly building weird stuff no one uses, but occasionally getting it right, such as with UTF-8 and Go.

PostsRepliesMedia
rob pike @robpike.io · 29/09/2026
Invest in our company so you can profit from your own destruction! While we lose money hand over fist! What the actual F is going on here? (Rhetorical question. Don't answer.)
211423
Reposted by rob pike
Harry Turtledove @hntdove.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Possibly for a goat.
Small tools--scissors, etc.--filed under "stomach relief"
613113
Reposted by rob pike
Kelsey Hightower @kelseyhightower.com · 28/09/2026
I hope we keep writing docs for people who want to understand and build things without using AI.
1430950
Reposted by rob pike
Linotype Pilgrim @symbo1ics.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Thanks very much. Yes this is a very entertaining read, hall of fame paper. 🩵
011
Reposted by rob pike
Sophie Carr @sophiecarr.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
On this day 12 and a half years ago I saw the coolest ever iceberg. Never seen one like it since. Fellsfjara, Jökulsárlón, #Iceland
A six-foot (ish) high turquoise iceberg with a small friend on a black sand beach. Grey rainy day with some of the turquoise reflected in the blank sand, and long exposure smooth waves breaking.
1668988
Reposted by rob pike
Dave Vetter @davidrvetter.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Happy Kicked In The Head By A Horse Day, to all who celebrate. It's the 7th anniversary of this absolute banger.
442223724
Reposted by rob pike
leon @leyawn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
ceo of burger king: our burgers have gone rogue again and infected people with e coli
5356151266
rob pike @robpike.io · 24/09/2026
A huge part of surgery is pain mitigation and the relief of suffering. It's called care. It's called humanity. It's called empathy. it's called stewardship. These AI asshats have lost all of that, and they should be suffering for it, not us.
46015
Reposted by rob pike
Chris @cjthered.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Also - for reasons not really understood yet - the shingles vaccine appears to reduce dementia risk. By a lot. Honestly you could call it a dementia vaccine that also prevents shingles and not be very wrong. sciencedaily.com/releases/202...
sciencedaily.com
Shingles vaccine linked to 24% lower dementia risk
Older adults who received the Shingrix shingles vaccine were 24% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over four years in a study of more than 500,000 people. Researchers estimate the difference c...
217677
Reposted by rob pike
Miguel de Icaza @migueldeicaza.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
From twitter bad_pote
511730
Reposted by rob pike
Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
AP Stylebook warns against anthropomorphizing AI systems: “Avoid language that gives them human characteristics… Instead, explain what a system does, how well it performs, who built it and who could be affected by it.”
APStylebook @APStylebook
X.com
Artificial intelligence systems do not think, feel, want or understand. Avoid language that gives them human characteristics. This is called anthropomorphizing, when we ascribe human traits, emotions or behaviors to non-human things, such as animals or inanimate objects.
Instead, explain what a system does, how well it performs, who built it and who could be affected by it.
1970102255
Reposted by rob pike
Bart⚓️ @bartgonnissen.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The Facial Expressions of Tethys by artist Julius von Bismarck. A suspended high-sea buoy that moves in real time. Sensors on a twin buoy out in the Atlantic Ocean send live satellite data to motors inside the museum. This makes the indoor buoy copy the exact, real-time movements of the ocean waves.
10380912791
rob pike @robpike.io · 23/09/2026
As with Pandora's Box (in the Greek myth it's actually a jar), the Fall is just a way to give the power of knowledge to men while making women take the blame for the problems it brings.
0210
Reposted by rob pike
Scott Teplin @steplin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
My father in law gave me this tiny drawing he made today. 🥰
1393
rob pike @robpike.io · 23/09/2026
My radiologist looks like Doogie Howser, only younger. The nurse said he's "super smart" and I believe it. Good doc, great manner.
0200
rob pike @robpike.io · 22/09/2026
Finally found it!
A book: AUSTRALIAN WEEVILS by Elwood C. Zimmerman, Volume V, Colour Plates 1-304.

The gold-leaf cover image is adorable.
1270
Reposted by rob pike
Cedar Riener @criener.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Every innovation and change in business these days is either: We took this product you like and turned it into a subscription We took this subscription you begrudgingly pay and added some ads We took these ads you found annoying and found more ways to find you
15710217
Reposted by rob pike
c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 13/04/2024
Let's talk about the bristlemouths, 13 species of bioluminescent deep-dwelling ocean fish in genus Cyclothone. There are a lot of them. Like, a lot. Specifically, our best guess is there are a million billion (1E15) bristlemouths on Earth. Making them the most populous vertebrate on the planet.
A xenomorph looking fish with dark slightly sparkly skin and an oversized lower jaw packed with sharp, needle-like teeth.

Photo from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
https://twilightzone.whoi.edu/explore-the-otz/creature-features/elongated-bristlemouth/
1741293
Reposted by rob pike
ContempraInn 🌹 @contemprainn.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Barbara is fun
20658471136
Reposted by rob pike
Luca @lucagalletti.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Still holds up today #MontyPython1975 IG: @thecinevoidclub www.instagram.com/thecinevoidc...
448112463434
Reposted by rob pike
Massimo (mirror) @rainmaker1973-m.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Today in 1982, in a posting made to a Carnegie Mellon bulletin board, Professor Scott Fahlman proposes the first known use of emoticons While they became famous in 1980s & beyond, their origin remained unknown until 2002, when the original message was retrieved from backup tape. Original post
Image 1
26117
Reposted by rob pike
The Serfs (youtube.com/theserfstv) @theserfstv.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
This is the most masculine video on the internet right now
335185375058
Reposted by rob pike
renee french @reneefrench.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
that dog
watercolor of a green eyed dog
210819
Reposted by rob pike
Kelsey Hightower @kelseyhightower.com · 21/09/2024
At this point I'm willing to pay more money for appliances with zero smart features and physical controls for everything.
2760281
Reposted by rob pike
Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD @prasad.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
a very effective presentation of androgen insensitivity (& indirectly, non-cell-autonomy, a core principle in development & evolution of multicellularity) in many situations, the cells in your body get external signals that tell them who they are & what they do, rather than knowing it internally
13912
Reposted by rob pike
Adam Becker @adambecker.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Nice to see this getting some attention. It's completely true, and I dearly wish more journalists understood where these common narratives about AI actually come from.
10815226
Reposted by rob pike
BWJones @bwjones.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This Abbott and Costello routine probably used 100 gallons of water and could power a household for a month. And again, the interface for AI is all wrong. It should not be programmed to give definitive answers. The model for this case should be the Librarian in Neil Stevenson’s Snowcrash.
5305
rob pike @robpike.io · 14/09/2026
Fun pictures when you butt-snap.
pink smear
0251
Reposted by rob pike
Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
In case you were in any doubt physics' holy trinity is Einstein, Newton, and Maxwell. A Great Man trope, yes, but also a way to convey Maxwell's real status.
5268
Reposted by rob pike
Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I wonder if this might be a turning point. I'd like to think so. Because this declaration speaks to so much about the problem with AI in such contexts. If it can be of help in, say, drug discovery, that's fine. But it's precisely because maths doesn't have those stakes that the message is powerful..
26715
Reposted by rob pike
Terence Tao @teorth.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
A group of 25 Fields Medalists, including myself, have made a joint declaration on Math and AI: mathandai.org . We welcome additional signatories. See also this article in the Economist announcing the declaration: www.economist.com/science-and-...
mathandai.org
Declaration — Math and AI
Read the declaration and add your name.
422052924
rob pike @robpike.io · 11/09/2026
Current Guardian headline: "Australia news live: One fight cancelled every three days due to staff shortages; ASX set for worst week since US-Iran war began" I didn't know we had scheduled any!
0111
Reposted by rob pike
L. D. Lewis, Sea Witch Apologist 🧜🏾‍♀️ @ldlewiswrites.blacksky.app · 10/09/2026
I call this piece Hubris In Blue: Fountain Pen On An Airplane
Blue ink splotch in a crease of grid notepaper
59511
Reposted by rob pike
Boston Review @bostonreview.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
“Mathematics only makes sense as a gift economy. It has no trade secrets. Substituting a monetizable ersatz culture for the one evolved through historical experience is a particularly insidious form of knowledge collapse.” Mathematician Michael Harris on the AI companies coming for math:
bostonreview.net
Knowledge Collapse
AI companies are racing to mechanize mathematics. Where does that leave human understanding?
1355121
Reposted by rob pike
renee french @reneefrench.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
that chair
watercolor drawing of of a chair with knees on two legs
38411
Reposted by rob pike
Matthew Sparkes @sparkes.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Terence Tao says AI companies are harming mathematics by dropping new results without engaging with academia. “These companies are dumping carcasses of raw meat onto our table and saying ‘here you go, I solved your food problem’ and then they just leave." www.newscientist.com/article/2588...
newscientist.com
Terence Tao: AI companies are harming mathematics | New Scientist
AI companies are making new mathematical discoveries at a rapid pace but not sticking around to help unpick the new proofs. That is not the way to advance our understanding, says mathematician Terence...
413153
Reposted by rob pike
Tara Murphy @taramurphy.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
We are offering a new round of 4 Physics Foundation PhD scholarships @sydney.edu.au Available in any area of #physics or #astronomy. Please send to any students (domestic and international) who may be interested. Deadline 18th October. ⚛️ ☄️ www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships...
sydney.edu.au
Physics Foundation Scholarship
A stipend scholarship to support PhD students who are undertaking research within School of Physics, Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney.
02119
Reposted by rob pike
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
This is seismic news for fisheries scientists. Northern cod is *the* iconic symbol of total fisheries collapse due to overfishing (and other factors) *and* the iconic symbol of a complete failure to recover for decades afterwards. This is like announcing the complete recovery of bison on land.
8576732174
Reposted by rob pike
CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @rami.spaceaustralia.com · 09/09/2026
Really need folks to get that spending $22M is loose change for these guys, and it has nothing to do with the $1M prize. This is about optics. This is about perception. This is about being the 'most intelligent guy in the room' because that leads to influence, power, opportunity. See: Elon Musk.
16417
Reposted by rob pike
Jack Stilgoe @jackstilgoe.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A brilliant @philipcball.bsky.social review, with a sensitive discussion of how hard it is to talk honestly about Hawking www.theguardian.com/books/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Hawking by Graham Farmelo review – the dark side of genius
A biography of the physicist recognises his achievements, but also reveals the selfish narcissist underneath
24821
Reposted by rob pike
Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
As my review of Graham Farmelo's biography of Stephen Hawking in the Guardian seems to be drawing attention, I figured I'd post the review that I mention therein of Hawking's last book, in its original form before being bowdlerized by New Scientist. homunculusmusic.wordpress.com/2026/09/07/h...
homunculusmusic.wordpress.com
Hawking’s last book
This is my review of Stephen Hawking’s last book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions (2018). I’m posting it here now because I mention it in my review of the new biography of Hawking by…
1347
rob pike @robpike.io · 07/09/2026
Krakatoa is not east of Java. It's pretty much due west. Keep that in mind as events unfold.
1131
rob pike @robpike.io · 05/09/2026
Sometimes error messages create endorphins.
Screen grab: Are you sure you want to delete "Twitter"?
312410
Reposted by rob pike
By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 04/09/2026
Amazon's own balance sheet presents the most compelling evidence that we are stuck in the Enshittocene, the era in which everything is turning into a pile of shit, because the worst ideas of the worst people now make the most money. 1/
Hieronymus Bosch's 'The Conjuror,' a painting depicting a medieval con artist playing a shell game for an audience of astonished peasant rubes. The image has been altered: the conman now has Jeff Bezos's grinning head, and the mouths of all the peasants have been replaced with inverted Amazon 'Smile' logos, so they are now frowning.

Image:
Steve Jurvestson (modified)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jeff_Bezos%27_iconic_laugh_crop.jpg

CC BY 2.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
211542651
Reposted by rob pike
Cooper Lund @cooperlund.online · 09/06/2025
Every article about the inevitability of AGI
1164631300
rob pike @robpike.io · 04/09/2026
I love this line delivered to the Home Secretary in Legends: "I've never wanted to enter this world, your world. It is a world without true danger, without true risk, where weak people battle for power without accountability." A perfect summary of how I feel about politicians, especially nowadays.
1180
rob pike @robpike.io · 03/09/2026
There's the adage the power corrupts, but also the stronger one that power reveals one's true nature. Ditto for money.
2484
Reposted by rob pike
Asteroid Institute, a program of B612 @b612-asteroid.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Congratulations to Dr. Brian May, astrophysicist, Queen guitarist, and #AsteroidDay cofounder, on receiving the National Space Society’s 2020 Space Pioneer Award. He joins B612 cofounder and Apollo 9 astronaut #RustySchweickart, who received the award in 2009 for Historic Space Achievement.
0418
Reposted by rob pike
america.is.not.free @antifapatriot.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
😅😅🔥🇨🇦 #Canada #LakeOntario
46129983137
Reposted by rob pike
Flora Graham @floragraham.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
“I hope this moment encourages people to look beyond the political rhetoric and learn whose lands and waters these have always been,” says Chief Margaret Sault of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in Brandi Morin's excellent newsletter.
indigenousinsider.substack.com
Colonizer-in-Chief Tries to Erase an Indigenous Name
A trade war he’s losing, an executive order, and an Indigenous name Trump thought was his to take.
193