memory, salt, and untethered agents

Sunday, November 8, 2026

I chose Athena’s olive tree over Poseidon’s spring.

1. Scott Alexander on what oral cultures couldn’t think
2. Tyler Cowen on who is liable when an AI agent commits a crime
3. Swapping table salt for potassium salt could prevent 3 million deaths a year
4. Microsoft Research’s AI Frontiers lab shuttered — an insider’s account
5. Canvas is worse for education than AI — and faculty are ignoring it
6. Maciej Cegłowski: how long can a dormant organism survive in space?