Author Archives

A wikipedia of algorithms

Here’s something I’ve wanted to see for some time, but probably don’t have time to work on myself. It would be nice if there was a wikipedia-like web site for code and algorithms. Just the common ones to start with, but perhaps more specialised ones over time. Of course the algorithms should be available in […]

Where is Java going?

Today, Java is one of the most popular programming languages. Introduced in 1995, it rests on a tripod of the language itself, its libraries, and the JVM. In the TIOBE programming language league charts, it has been at the top for as long as the measurements have been made (since 2002), overtaken by C only […]

Abundance and the culture of thrift

For a long time, the level of comfort allowed us by technology has risen persistently. This trend shows no signs of slowing down. One of two things would have to happen: either we reach some point where a fundamental barrier prevents us from extracting or converting certain natural resources beyond a certain rate, and this […]

Presentations: one lump of sugar, or two?

Recently I watched a friend give a presentation on a research topic he’s been working on for years. I found the presentation to be fascinating, and the clearest explanation of his work that I have seen to date. But I felt compelled to criticise him on one point. In order to lighten up the speech […]

Fact and narrative

Philosophers have long debated whether we can perceive reality in an objective manner, or if there is a multitude of subjective perceptions. I am not qualified to enter this debate on an academic level, but I will offer some thoughts from my current vantage point. Sensory impressions can probably be said to be objective. I […]