I am at exactly the same spot, page 379 of book 3. Incredible series!

A vintage poster featuring the Statue of Liberty pointing out to sea, with text "Make America a Better Place. Leave the Country."

This is a Peace Corps recruitment poster in the pedestal at the Statue of Liberty. Sure hits different now.

this is just so wonderful

Introduction: The Arc of Digital Moral Welfare An attempt at a tractable lens for understanding AI and consciousness

Hierarchical and recursive abstraction processing built into a resilient self: mchrisriley.medium.com/introduction... AI is still just pantomime.

LLMs are heading in the right direction but I believe the LeCun et al conviction that we need a new iteration on fundamental AI tech to get any closer.

Who Controls Data in the Age of AI? · Luma Who Controls Data in the Age of AI? Portability, Platforms, and Power Friday, February 27 1:30–5:00 PM 198 McAllister St, San Francisco, CA About the…

Excited for this event coming up on Friday: "Who Controls Data in the Age of AI?" luma.com/kpf2voda

Sign up and come to UC Law San Francisco to learn about the law and practice of data transfers with several distinguished speakers, and me. (But I organized it, so they had to include me, mwahaha!)

🎯

We are, collectively, struggling to come to terms with the emerging capabilities of AI. Two conversations are happening with no cross-pollination, optimistic and pessimistic. I am trying to create a workable theory to reach both. Here is my chapter on self: mchrisriley.medium.com/chapter-9-th...

"Doing harm at scale requires infrastructure." So good, from @johnathan.bsky.social @shappy.bsky.social I always read World's Best Newsletter, but this one I am going to save and reread. mailchi.mp/rawsignal/yo...

Ultimately, Petitioners may, because of the arcane United States immigration system, return to their home country, involuntarily or by self-deportation. But that result should occur through a more orderly and humane policy than currently in place. Philadelphia, September 17, 1787: "Well, Dr. Franklin, what do we have?" "A republic, if you can keep it." With a judicial finger in the constitutional dike, It is so ORDERED. SIGNED this 31st day of February, 2026. 7um Jing FRED BIERY UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE Credit: Bystander Matthew 19:14 John 11:35 There is also the photo of the boy from the viral stories included.

Federal judge has ordered the release of Liam Ramos (the bunny hat boy) and his father. A brief and rather remarkable order. Clearly written to be shared widely, so please do. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

When Can States Prosecute Federal Agents? Federal precedent permits such prosecutions in limited circumstances, but the legal bar remains high.

NEW: When can states prosecute federal agents? While it may not be easy, especially if federal officials impede an investigation, states have more power than people may realize. @aliciabannon.bsky.social breaks down the tools states have to hold federal officials accountable:

Every social theory undergirding Trumpism has been broken on the steel of Minnesotan resolve. The multiracial community in Minneapolis was supposed to shatter. It did not. It held until Bovino was forced out of the Twin Cities with his long coat between his legs. The secret fear of the morally depraved is that virtue is actually common, and that they’re the ones who are alone. In Minnesota, all of the ideological cornerstones of MAGA have been proved false at once. Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave. Minnesotans have shown that their community is socially cohesive—because of its diversity and not in spite of it. Minnesotans have found and loved one another in a world atomized by social media, where empty men have tried to fill their lonely soul with lies about their own inherent superiority. Minnesotans have preserved everything worthwhile about “Western civilization,” while armed brutes try to tear it down by force.

Last week in Minnesota, I watched ordinary people risk their lives to protect their neighbors. In the process, they not only won a significant—though not final—victory against authoritarianism, they proved virtually every MAGA social theory wrong. (gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

It Makes Sense That People See A.I. as God

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/23/s...

There is a callout box in the print version of this piece that reads, "Like all gods, this technology is inscrutable." .... sheesh. The piece itself is pretty great though, and reinforces what I wrote about idolatry and dangerous mutual worship dynamics.

Excited to kick off the spring concert prep cycle!

Part 3: Resilience; Chapter 8: AI is Not a Taco HAL: Let me put it this way, Mr. Amor. The nine-thousand series is the most reliable computer ever made. No nine-thousand computer has ever…

If I may, based on this piece, you might also enjoy the serialized book I'm writing on AI and consciousness (TL;DR: I don't think it's close, but I offer a possible framework built on abstraction and resilience). Here's the latest (which gets a bit personal): mchrisriley.medium.com/part-3-resil...

This is an incredible conversation, touching on several distinct and worthy issues -- not just AI, but even more so science and how we approach it, the pervasive confusion of correlation and causation, and a bit of current politics/events at the end. Well worth a read.

I sympathize. I'm roughly D4 down to an A1. I can sing Johnny Cash at karaoke and that's about it unless I drop an octave and that just sounds weird. It was fun to be the lowest singer in the Yale Russian Chorus during my time, though.

This is a very sad, but of course not surprising, development.

The solve for America's aging crisis: Universal Basic Investment The goal: Give the next generation a financial leg up, plus a living lesson in compound interest.

I'm sure literally no one involved in making this happen will care, but I shudder to think of the child psychologist reaction to this Universal Basic Investment proposal: www.axios.com/2025/12/21/t...

Making every kid aware of, and competing over, money seems like a fast way to ruin childhood.

For future anthropologists or others studying the internet to make sense of it, I will add to this that I wrote it when the internet was abuzz with the second installment of Ryan Lizza writing about Olivia Nuzzi. And if those names mean nothing to you, congratulations, you are better off for that.

Spotify Wrapped, showing 5 top artists: Jelly Roll, Andy Grammer, Anna Palfreeman, Thomas Rhett, Kenny Chesney.

Breaking recommendation algorithms with my highly specific tastes, 2025 edition. Had a lot of long car rides with kids in the first half of the year...

I would be a bit concerned about the 5 year old battery, personally, but budget is budget. If you do go this route definitely get 512 GB storage. Even the folk I know with extremely ordinary laptop usage struggle at 256 GB with how bloated core OS and apps seem to have become.

No, you don't. Really.

As a practicing Christian, I genuinely believe God engages with the present world in mysterious ways, and if we but listen quietly and humbly, He will speak to us.

... but not like that.

Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/o...

(See also, by me: mchrisriley.medium.com/interlude-co...)

Chapter 6: Memories in the Mind and the Machine Deckard: Remember when you were six? You and your brother snuck into an empty building through a basement window. You were going to play…

Here, read this instead: mchrisriley.medium.com/chapter-6-me...

a person holding a bag with a note that says dead dove do not eat Alt: a person holding a bag with a note that says dead dove do not eat

All of Bluesky this morning:

The comments on this post are illuminating.

This is, of course, a fascinating thread from Kate asking why Google is effectively cannibalizing its own market for both digital ads on third party properties and search ads, by effectively taking away the incentive to click through to third party sites. I have a theory as to why they're doing it.

follow my stuff | dansinker.com

Today is @dansinker.com 's birthday. If you're not already signed up for his emails, you should! dansinker.com/follow/ And maybe buy some stickers or something. I love my "TRYING" sticker, it is the anchor sticker on my laptop, the first one I put on.

Where will things progress now? Will law enforcement in NYC face thrown slices of pizza? Hot dogs in Chicago? Sushi in LA or SF? Teriyaki in Seattle? Only time will tell.

in this economy? pff