Notes | Kaelan

Jun 6

Aji

Latent potential left unused in a position — possibilities you keep in reserve

gostrategyoptionalitygames

Jun 6

Asymmetric Balance

Factions that play by different rules and still come out fair

game-designsystemsfairnessgames

Jun 6

The Economy of Attention

Real-time strategy as a study in where to spend finite attention

game-designattentionstrategygames

Jun 6

Fog of War

Deciding under hidden information, and scouting as paying to reduce uncertainty

game-designstrategyuncertaintygames

Jun 6

The Horizon Effect

Pushing a problem just past the depth you can see, so it looks solved

chesscognitiongamesdecisions

Jun 6

Pawn Structure as Terrain

Slow, near-permanent commitments that shape every later move

chessstrategygamespath-dependence

Jun 6

Piece Activity over Material

Fewer pieces doing more can beat more pieces doing less

chessstrategygamesleverage

Jun 6

Prophylaxis

Preventing the opponent's plan before pursuing your own

chessstrategypreventiongames

Jun 6

The Sacrifice

Giving up material for position, time, or initiative — when losing on purpose wins

chessstrategygamestradeoffs

Jun 6

Sente and Gote

Who gets to dictate the next move, and who only gets to answer

gostrategyinitiativegames

Jun 6

The Skill–Luck Axis

What variance does to learning, to fairness, and to how long it takes to know who's better

game-designstatisticsluckgames

Jun 6

Snowballing and Comeback Mechanics

Runaway-leader dynamics, and the design choices that keep a game alive

game-designsystemsfeedback-loopsgames

Jun 6

Solved Games and Opening Theory

What it means for a metagame to be figured out, and what's left when it is

game-designstrategygamesknowledge

Jun 6

Thickness vs. Territory

Securing points now versus building influence that pays off later

gostrategyinvestinggames

Jun 6

Weak Squares

Permanent structural holes you can't undo, and what it means to occupy one

chessstrategygamesstructure

Jun 6

Zugzwang

When any move you make worsens your position, and the duty to move is the trap

chessstrategygamesconstraints

Jun 6

The Discovered Attack

Move one piece, and a second one you weren't watching does the damage

chesstacticsgames

Jun 6

The Fork

One move, two threats, and an opponent who can only answer one

chesstacticsgamesdecisions

Jun 6

The Overworked Piece

A defender given two jobs, and the move that asks it to do both at once

chesstacticsgamesfailure-modes

Jun 6

The Pin

A piece frozen in place by what stands behind it

chesstacticsgamesconstraints

Jun 6

Zwischenzug

The in-between move — refusing to make the reply your opponent is counting on

chesstacticsgamesdecisions

Jun 6

Bluffing

Why hidden information makes lying profitable — and why you have to do it on schedule

pokerstrategygamesuncertainty

Jun 6

Calculation and Candidate Moves

How far to look ahead, and the discipline of not looking at the same thing twice

chessthinkingdecisionsgames

Jun 6

Center of Gravity

The one source of strength everything else depends on — and where to aim

strategysystemsmilitarydecisions

Jun 6

Collective Action

Why groups fail to act in their shared interest — and the conditions under which they don't

economicscoordinationsystemsincentives

Jun 6

Concentration of Force

Why numbers count for more than they look — Lanchester's square law and the case for massing

strategymathematicsmilitarygames

Jun 6

Credible Commitment

How tying your own hands — removing your options — can strengthen your position

game-theorystrategynegotiationgames

Jun 6

The Endgame

When the board empties, small edges become decisive — and simplification is a weapon

chessstrategygamestime

Jun 6

Expected Value

The long-run average of a decision — and why good process survives bad outcomes

pokerprobabilitydecision-makingrisk +1

Jun 6

Friction

Why the simplest things become hard in practice — Clausewitz on the gap between plan and reality

strategysystemsfailure-modesmilitary

Jun 6

Iterated Games and Tit for Tat

How cooperation survives among selfish players when the game repeats

game-theorycooperationstrategygames

Jun 6

Ko

The rule against repeating the position — and the strange politics it creates

gostrategygamesconstraints

Jun 6

Miai

Two options of equal value — so you can take neither yet, and lose nothing

gostrategyoptionalitygames

Jun 6

Negotiation

Bargaining over interests rather than positions, measured against your walk-away

negotiationstrategycommunicationdecisions

Jun 6

The OODA Loop

Observe, orient, decide, act — and the advantage of getting inside the other side's cycle

strategydecisionstimemilitary

Jun 6

Position

Acting last means deciding with more information — why the button is the power seat

pokerstrategygamesdecisions

Jun 6

Strategy vs. Tactics

Long plans versus short blows — what you do when there's nothing to do, and what you do when there is

strategytacticschessgames +1

Jun 6

Trade-offs

You can't maximize everything at once — the frontier where one gain costs another

economicsdecisionsconstraintsdesign

Jun 6

The Principle of Two Weaknesses

One weakness can be defended; a second one, far away, breaks the defense

chessstrategygames

Jun 6

The War of Attrition

Contests won by who will pay longest — where both sides pay even though one loses

game-theorystrategyeconomicsbiology +1

Jun 6

Zero-Sum and Positive-Sum

Whether your gain must be someone's loss — and why mistaking which is which is so costly

game-theoryeconomicsstrategygames

Apr 23

Barbell Strategy

Pair extreme safety with extreme risk and skip the mediocre middle

riskdecision-makingantifragilitystrategy

Apr 23

Convexity

Payoff structures where the upside dwarfs the downside

riskdecision-makingantifragilitymental-models

Apr 23

Inversion

Solve problems by asking what guarantees failure, then avoiding it

thinkingdecision-makingmental-models

Apr 23

Liminality

The threshold state — between what was and what hasn't yet become

transitionrituallearninganthropology

Apr 23

Mise en Place

The cook's discipline of total preparation before the first move

craftcookingritualpractice

Apr 23

Negative Knowledge

What experts know not to do — the silent half of expertise

expertiselearningtacit-knowledgecraft

Apr 23

Pre-Mortem

Imagine the project has already failed and write the autopsy

thinkingdecision-makingplanning

Apr 23

Threshold Concepts

Ideas that, once grasped, irreversibly change how you see a domain

learningepistemologyteaching

Apr 23

The Doorway Effect

Memory is more room-bound than you think

memoryspacecognitionembodiment

Apr 23

Fingerspitzengefühl

Fingertip feel — the body's read of a complex situation under pressure

expertiseintuitiontacit-knowledgemilitary

Apr 23

The Hamming Question

What are the important problems in your field, and why aren't you working on them?

thinkingworkdirectionresearch

Apr 23

Negative Capability

The capacity to stay in uncertainty without reaching for resolution

epistemologyattentionartthinking

Apr 23

Ostinato

The figure that repeats while everything else moves around it

musicritualpracticepattern

Apr 23

Solvitur Ambulando

It is solved by walking

walkingthinkingembodimentpractice

Apr 23

Sprezzatura

The art of making the difficult look effortless

craftmasteryaestheticsitalian

Apr 23

Cause

A word everyone uses about a relation no one has ever observed

epistemologyphilosophysciencethinking

Apr 23

Equanimity

Composure in the presence of what cannot be unmade

stoicismbuddhismcomposurevirtue

Apr 23

Forgiveness

The release that lets life continue after damage that cannot be undone

virtuerelationshipsfreedomaction

Apr 23

Hypomnema

The ancient practice of writing notes to oneself for self-formation

writingphilosophyself-formationclassical

Apr 23

Memento Mori

Remember you will die — the practice that reorders priorities

deathtimemortalityclassical +1

Apr 23

Now

The present moment, which sounds simple and is not

timeattentionphenomenologyperception

Apr 23

Pentimento

When the painter's earlier choices bleed through the finished surface

artrevisiontimepatina

Apr 23

Place

Space that has been dwelt in until it acquired meaning

spacearchitecturedwellingphenomenology

Apr 23

Reverence

The capacity to feel awe at what is greater than you and not made by you

virtueawehumilityclassical

Apr 23

Sabbath

The discipline of deliberately not producing

resttimedisciplineagrarian +1

Apr 23

Touch

The first sense, the philosophically uncanny one

bodysenseintimacyembodiment

Apr 23

Trust

The substrate that makes coordination possible and resists definition

psychologysociologycoordinationrelationships

Apr 23

Hospitality

The obligation to the stranger as the test of a culture

virtuestrangerethicsclassical

Apr 23

Solitude

The capacity to be alone — the prerequisite for being with others

selfpresenceparadoxmental-health

Apr 23

Teshuvah

Return — the Jewish concept of what the wrongdoer does after the wrong

virtuereturnrepairjewish +1

Apr 23

The Gift

The economy that runs on giving, not exchange

economicsartanthropologyvirtue

Apr 23

Wonder

The default cognitive posture of children, lost by almost everyone else

philosophyattentionvirtuechildhood

Jan 24

Active Reading and Annotation

Systems for engaging with text — marginalia, highlighting, note extraction

readinglearningknowledge

Jan 24

Bicycle Fit

Proper bike fit for injury prevention and performance — saddle height, reach, stack

bikesmaintenancemovement

Jan 24

Breath and Composure Under Pressure

Physiological regulation in combat sports — box breathing, parasympathetic response, composure as trained skill

martial-artslearningphysiology

Jan 24

Building a Personal Library

The anti-library made physical — acquiring, organizing, relating to books

readingknowledgecollecting

Jan 24

Teaching Tacit Skills

Transmitting knowledge that resists verbal instruction — constraints-led approaches, analogies, and discovery learning

learningcoachingcraftexpertise

Jan 24

Cooking Fundamentals

Core techniques underlying all cooking — heat control, seasoning, timing

foodcraftlearning

Jan 24

Fermentation Traditions by Culture

Kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, kefir — how fermentation evolved differently across cultures

foodculturebiology

Jan 24

Handwriting Improvement

Developing legible, efficient handwriting — grip, posture, practice drills

craftpracticewriting

Jan 24

Home Workshop Setup

Designing functional workspaces for hand tools — from apartment corners to dedicated shops

crafttoolsmaking

Jan 24

Instrument Practice Methodology

Applying deliberate practice to music — slow practice, chunking, repetition

musicpracticelearning

Jan 24

Journaling Systems

Bullet journals, commonplace books, morning pages — structured handwriting practices

writingpracticeknowledge

Jan 24

Knife Sharpening

Edge geometry, whetstones, and the practice of maintaining sharp edges

craftmaintenancetools

Jan 24

Leather Care and Conditioning

Maintaining leather goods so they develop patina rather than decay

craftmaintenancematerials

Jan 24

Listening as a Developed Skill

How to hear more in music — active listening, structural awareness, ear training

musicattentionlearning

Jan 24

Periodization in Grappling Training

Structuring training cycles — from weekly sessions to competition prep

martial-artslearningpractice

Jan 24

Spaced Repetition and Memory

The science of forgetting and how spaced retrieval builds durable knowledge

learningmemorypractice

Jan 24

Training Volume, Intensity, and Recovery

Load management, overtraining, and sleep in skill acquisition

learningpracticephysiology

Jan 24

The Zettelkasten Method

Niklas Luhmann's slip-box system — atomic notes, links, emergent structure

knowledgelearningwritingsystems

Jan 4

The Art of Description research

Research on effective descriptive writing—when to describe, telling details, sensory language, avoiding purple prose, and lessons from masters

writingcraftdescriptionfiction +1

Jan 24

Bicycle Anatomy research

A complete guide to bicycle components—what each part is called, what it does, and how it works

cyclingmaintenanceequipment

Jan 24

Bicycle Maintenance Tools research

A deep guide to every tool in the home mechanic's workshop—what each does, how it works, and why it matters

cyclingmaintenancetoolscraft

Jan 24

Bicycle Maintenance research

Essential maintenance for the home mechanic—the M-check, chain care, tire repair, and derailleur adjustment

cyclingmaintenancecrafttools

Jan 24

Building a Reading Practice research

Systems for reading more and better—from daily habits to the anti-library, and the question of what to read at all

readinghabitspracticesystems

Jan 24

Essential Maintenance Skills research

Practical care for the things that last—knife sharpening, cast iron seasoning, leather conditioning, and tool preservation

maintenancecrafttoolscooking +1

Jan 24

How to Read a Book research

A synthesis of reading frameworks from Adler, Bacon, Schopenhauer, Woolf, and modern practitioners—how to move from passive consumption to active understanding

readinglearningcraftknowledge +1

Jan 24

How to Read Poetry research

A different kind of reading—sound, silence, line breaks, and the collaboration between poet and reader

readingpoetrycraftliterature

Jan 24

Improving Verbal Intelligence research

The trainable skill of thinking in words—vocabulary, fluency, articulation, and the feedback loop between reading, writing, and speaking

readingspeakingvocabularycommunication +1

Jan 24

Music for Focus research

What the research says about listening while reading and working—when sound helps, when silence wins, and what to choose

readingfocusproductivitymusic +1

Jan 24

The Philosophy of Maintenance research

Why care matters—from Pirsig's motorcycle to Crawford's shop class, and what we lose when we stop fixing things

maintenancephilosophycraftstewardship

Jan 24

Building Procreate for the Web research

State-of-the-art architecture for a professional raster painting app in Chrome

graphicsarchitecturepaintingwebgpu +1

Jan 24

Reading Like a Writer research

How to reverse-engineer great prose—the sentence-level attention that transforms readers into craftsmen

readingwritingcraftlearning

Jan 24

Stationery research

A guide to fountain pens, ink, paper, and notebooks—the tools of deliberate handwriting

crafttoolswriting

Jan 24

Surly Preamble Maintenance research

Bike-specific maintenance for the Preamble's steel frame, microSHIFT Acolyte drivetrain, and Avid BB7 brakes

cyclingmaintenanceequipment

Jan 24

Surly Preamble research

A versatile steel commuter built for real-world durability—Surly's entry-level bike that refuses to compromise on frame quality

cyclingmaintenanceequipment

Jan 4

Building a Writing Practice research

Sustainable habits, daily word counts, schedules, accountability, and what working writers actually do

writingcraftpracticehabits

Jan 4

The Creative Process research

Where ideas come from, the four stages of creativity, incubation, and practical techniques for generating more and better ideas

writingcraftcreativityprocess

Jan 4

David Foster Wallace's Craft research

Sincerity vs irony, footnotes as architecture, maximalism, and the dangers of imitation

writingcraftauthorsfiction +1

Jan 4

Building Figma Today research

State of the art stack for a professional graphics tool in 2025

graphicsarchitecturesynthesis

Jan 4

CRDTs for Real-Time Collaboration research

How to build Figma-style multiplayer with conflict-free data types

crdtcollaborationmultiplayerarchitecture

Jan 4

Joan Didion's Craft research

Sentence rhythm, grammar as camera, fragmented structure, and the art of writing to find out what you think

writingcraftauthorsessays +1

Jan 4

Annie Dillard's Craft research

The art of seeing, spending it all, showing up, and the discipline of attention

writingcraftauthorsessays +1

Jan 4

E-Ink Training Display research

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W + 7.5" e-ink display for calm, ambient training data

hardwareraspberry-pie-inkside-project

Jan 4

Essay & Narrative Structure research

Frameworks for organizing essays and stories—from inverted pyramid to hero's journey to braided essays

writingcraftstructureessays +1

Jan 4

Figma's Rendering Architecture research

How Figma built a professional design tool in the browser

graphicswebglwebgpuwasm +1

Jan 4

GPUI: Zed's 120fps GPU-Accelerated UI research

How Zed renders like a videogame — SDF primitives, immediate+retained hybrid

graphicsrustgpuui +1

Jan 4

Grammar & Punctuation Crash Course research

The 80/20 of English grammar—rules that cover most cases

writinggrammarpunctuationreference

Jan 4

Hemingway's Craft research

The iceberg theory, short sentences, concrete language, and revision—lessons from the master of economy

writingcraftauthorsfiction

Jan 4

How to Write Well research

Synthesized principles from masters of clear prose—Orwell, Zinsser, Graham, Pinker, and others

writingcraftclaritycommunication

Jan 4

Le Guin's Craft research

Sound and rhythm, sentence variety, the defense of exposition, and steering the craft

writingcraftauthorsfiction

Jan 4

MagInkCal: E-Ink Calendar Project research

Prior art - battery-powered e-ink calendar with Google integration

e-inkraspberry-piprior-art

Jan 4

Open-Meteo Weather API research

Free weather API with no key required

apiweatherpython

Jan 4

Orwell's Craft research

Clarity as moral duty, the six rules, window-pane prose, and why bad writing enables bad thinking

writingcraftauthorsessays +1

Jan 4

Rust + WASM for Browser Graphics research

State of the art for high-performance browser rendering in 2025

rustwasmgraphicsperformance

Jan 4

Self-Editing research

The revision process—line editing, cutting ruthlessly, common mistakes, and how professionals approach manuscripts

writingcrafteditingrevision

Jan 4

Vello: GPU Compute 2D Renderer research

Next-gen vector graphics rendering with GPU compute shaders

graphicsrustgpurendering

Jan 4

Vonnegut's Craft research

The 8 rules of fiction, the shape of stories, dark humor, and writing to please just one person

writingcraftauthorsfiction

Jan 4

Waveshare 7.5" E-Paper HAT V2 research

Technical reference for the 800×480 e-ink display

hardwaree-inkraspberry-pi

Jan 4

WebGPU Future Roadmap (2025-2027) research

Where browser graphics is heading — bindless, ray tracing, mesh shaders, WebNN

graphicswebgpuroadmapfuture

Jan 4

WebGPU vs WebGL research

The successor to WebGL - what changes and why it matters

graphicswebgpuwebglperformance

Jan 4

Writer's Block research

The psychology, types, and practical solutions—from freewriting to silencing the inner critic

writingcraftpsychologycreativity

Jan 4

Writing Dialogue research

The craft of dialogue—subtext, distinct voices, pacing, and lessons from Elmore Leonard, Hemingway, and Mamet

writingcraftdialoguefiction

Jan 4

Writing for the Web research

How people read online, formatting for screens, hooks, SEO basics, and examples of great web writers

writingcraftwebdigital

Dec 31

Argumentation

Building claims that hold weight

writinglogicepistemologyrhetoric

Dec 31

Essay Structure

How essays are built

writingstructureessayscraft

Dec 31

Finding Ideas

Where writing topics come from

writingcreativitythinkingobservation

Dec 31

Learning Path — Writing & Research

A structured path to becoming a capable writer and researcher

writinglearningmetaresearch

Dec 31

Reading as a Writer

Learning to see the machinery behind the prose

writingreadingcraftlearning

Dec 31

Research

Finding, filtering, and synthesizing information

writingresearchepistemologyinformation

Dec 31

Revision

The craft of rewriting

writingeditingcraftpractice

Dec 31

Writing

Thinking made visible

writingcognitioncraftcommunication

Dec 31

Writing Practice

Building the habit that builds the skill

writingpracticehabitscraft

Dec 24

3D Configurators

Interactive product customization — the pipeline from CAD to customer

toolsdesigncraft

Dec 23

Abilene Paradox

When groups do what no individual member wants

coordinationpsychologysystems

Dec 23

Adverse Selection

When the wrong people self-select into markets and systems

economicssystemsselection

Dec 23

Affordances

What objects tell us about how to use them

designperceptionpsychology

Dec 23

Akerlof's Lemons

How quality uncertainty can destroy markets entirely

economicsinformationsystems

Dec 23

Alexander Technique

The use of the self — changing habitual patterns of posture and movement

movementposturebody

Dec 23

Anchoring

How first numbers stick and pull subsequent judgments

psychologycognitionnegotiation

Dec 23

Antifragility

Systems that gain from disorder

systemsriskresilience

Dec 23

Apophenia

The tendency to perceive patterns in random noise

psychologyepistemologycognition

Dec 23

Availability Heuristic

Judging probability by what comes easily to mind

psychologycognitionepistemology

Dec 23

Apprenticeship

Learning by doing alongside a master

learningcrafteducation

Dec 23

Base Rate Neglect

Ignoring background probabilities when evaluating evidence

statisticscognitionepistemology

Dec 23

Berkson's Paradox

When selection creates false correlations

statisticsepistemologyselection

Dec 23

Bikeshedding

Why committees spend more time on trivial matters than important ones

organizationspsychologydecisions

Dec 23

Brian Eno ref

Musician who named the collective genius we call scenius

peoplemusiccreativitycollaboration

Dec 23

Bricolage

Making do with what's at hand

creativityinnovationimprovisation

Dec 23

Cargo Cult

Imitating the form without understanding the function

epistemologysystemscraft

Dec 23

Carl Sagan ref

Astronomer who balanced wonder with skepticism

peoplesciencecommunicationskepticism

Dec 23

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population an environment can sustain indefinitely

ecologylimitssystems

Dec 23

Chain Wrestling

The philosophy of continuous attack — never stopping after one failed attempt

martial-artsstrategypersistencegrappling

Dec 23

Chilling Effects

Self-censorship from fear of consequences — the speech you never hear

systemscoordinationepistemology

Dec 23

Christopher Alexander ref

Architect who saw design as a language of recurring solutions

peoplearchitecturedesignpatterns

Dec 23

Chunking ref

Perceiving compound patterns as single units

cognitionexpertiselearning

Dec 23

Circadian Rhythms

The body's internal clock and the biology of daily cycles

timebiologyhealth

Dec 23

Cognition

How we perceive, learn, and make sense of complex environments

learningpsychologyperception

Dec 23

Cognitive Handholds

Concrete grips for abstract ideas

writingcognitionteachingcommunication +1

Dec 23

Constraints

Limitations that enable rather than restrict

designcreativityproblem-solving

Dec 23

Comparative Advantage

Why specialization and trade make everyone better off — even when one party is worse at everything

economicstradecooperation

Dec 23

Coordination

The hard problem of getting people to act together

systemsgame-theoryorganizations

Dec 23

Costly Signaling

Proving quality by accepting handicaps

evolutioneconomicscoordination

Dec 23

Cognitive Maps

Mental representations of spatial environments

navigationcognitionpsychology

Dec 23

Compression

Reducing complexity while preserving what matters

cognitionwritingmodelsinformation +1

Dec 23

Creole Technology ref

Old technologies repurposed into new contexts

technologymaintenanceadaptation

Dec 23

Daniel Kahneman ref

Psychologist who named the machinery in your head

peoplepsychologycognitionrationality

Dec 23

David Pye ref

Craftsman who distinguished risk from certainty in making

peoplecraftdesignmaking

Dec 23

Dead Reckoning

Tracking position through accumulated movement

navigationcognitionwayfinding

Dec 23

Deep Time

Geological and cosmic timescales and the limits of human comprehension

timescaleperspective

Dec 23

Deliberate Practice

The structure that separates expertise from mere experience

learningexpertisepracticecraft

Dec 23

Diagnostic Thinking

The epistemology of repair — how practitioners reason from symptoms to causes

craftcognitionrepair

Dec 23

Donald Norman ref

Cognitive scientist who brought affordances to design

peopledesignpsychologyusability

Dec 23

Donella Meadows ref

Systems thinker who mapped leverage points for change

peoplesystemsecologythinking

Dec 23

E-Prime

English without forms of "to be" — forcing active voice and precision

languagewritingthinking

Dec 23

E.B. White ref

Essayist who wrote with invisible effort

peoplewritingessaysstyle

Dec 23

Ecological Succession

How ecosystems develop through time from bare ground to complex communities

ecologysystemstime

Dec 23

Ecology

How ecosystems work — flows, cycles, and the interdependence of living things

systemsnaturebiology

Dec 23

The Edge Effect

Ecological principle — boundaries contain more life than either side alone

ecologypermaculturedesignland

Dec 23

Embodied Cognition

The theory that thinking is shaped by having and using a body

cognitionmovementphilosophy

Dec 23

Entropy

The tendency toward disorder — why things fall apart and time has a direction

physicssystemsthermodynamics

Dec 23

Epistemic Posture

How you signal what you know and don't know

writingcognitionrationalitycommunication +1

Dec 23

Epistemology

How we know what we know — and why we're often wrong

knowledgerationalityscience

Dec 23

Ergodicity

Why expected value lies — time averages versus ensemble averages

riskprobabilitydecision-making

Dec 23

Explanatory Writing

Making readers think with ideas, not just about them

writingcognitioncraftcommunication

Dec 23

Exponential Growth

Why doubling is deceptive — the math that breaks human intuition

mathematicssystemsrisk

Dec 23

External Focus

Attention on the target produces better technique than attention on mechanics

learningpsychologyperformancetennis

Dec 23

Failure Modes

How things break — and what breaking teaches

engineeringsystemsmechanics

Dec 23

Falsification

What makes a claim scientific is that it could be proven wrong

epistemologysciencerationality

Dec 23

Fat Tails

When extreme events dominate the distribution

riskprobabilitystatistics

Dec 23

Feedback Loops

How outputs become inputs — the engine of stability and runaway

systemscyberneticsdynamics

Dec 23

Feldenkrais Method

Awareness through movement — learning to learn with the body

movementlearningbody

Dec 23

Fermentation

Controlled decay — the partnership between humans and microbes

foodculturebiology

Dec 23

The First Four Shots

Statistical reality — tennis matches are won at the beginning of points

tennisstatisticsstrategy

Dec 23

Flow

Optimal experience when challenge matches skill

psychologyperformanceattentioncognition

Dec 23

Frames and Wedges

BJJ's mechanical principles — using geometry instead of strength

martial-artsphysicscraftgrappling

Dec 23

Fundamental Attribution Error

Blaming character when context is responsible

psychologycognitionsystems

Dec 23

Game Theory

The mathematics of strategic interaction

strategyeconomicsmathematics

Dec 23

Gell-Mann Amnesia

Forgetting that media is unreliable when we leave familiar topics

epistemologymediacognition

Dec 23

George Orwell ref

Writer who treated clarity as an ethical stance

peoplewritingpoliticslanguage

Dec 23

G.K. Chesterton ref

Writer who warned against reforming what you don't understand

peoplephilosophywritingtradition

Dec 23

Grappling

The chess of combat — control through position, leverage, and timing

martial-artslearning

Dec 23

Herbert Simon ref

Polymath who showed that rationality has bounds

peopleeconomicscognitiondecision-making

Dec 23

High Modernism ref

The ideology that complex systems can be centrally designed

systemsideologyplanning

Dec 23

Hindsight Bias

The illusion that the past was predictable — the "knew-it-all-along" effect

psychologyepistemologycognition

Dec 23

Homeostasis

How living systems maintain stability through continuous correction

biologysystemsstabilityfeedback-loops

Dec 23

Hormesis

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger — why small doses help

antifragilitysystemsbiology

Dec 23

Horror Vacui

The compulsion to fill empty space — and why resisting it is difficult

designaestheticsminimalism

Dec 23

Hyperbolic Discounting

Why we choose now over later more than we should

psychologydecisionstime

Dec 23

Iatrogenesis

Harm caused by the healer — when interventions backfire

systemsriskmedicine

Dec 23

Iki

Edo-period urban chic — sophisticated restraint

aestheticsjapanesestylejapanese-aesthetics

Dec 23

Implicit Learning

Why less explanation can produce better performance under pressure

learningpsychologycoachingtennis

Dec 23

Incentives

Show me the incentives and I'll show you the outcome

economicssystemscoordination

Dec 23

Information Cascades

Rational herding — when everyone follows everyone else's apparent signal

epistemologysystemscoordination

Dec 23

The Inner Game

Timothy Gallwey's insight — performance equals potential minus interference

psychologylearningperformancetennis

Dec 23

Innovation

How new ideas emerge, spread, and become possible

ideascreativity

Dec 23

Invisible Jiu-Jitsu

Rickson Gracie's term for the mastery you can feel but can't see

martial-artsmasterycraftgrappling

Dec 23

Ivan Illich ref

Critic who saw modern tools creating new forms of dependence

peopletechnologysocietycritique

Dec 23

James C. Scott ref

Political scientist who showed how states simplify what they govern

peoplepoliticssystemsplanning

Dec 23

James Gibson ref

Psychologist who saw perception as action, not processing

peoplepsychologyperceptiondesign

Dec 23

Japanese Aesthetics

Design principles that value incompleteness, restraint, and time's effects

aestheticsdesignjapan

Dec 23

Joinery

The craft of connection — how parts become wholes

craftconstructionwoodworking

Dec 23

Joan Didion ref

Writer who achieved clarity through precision rather than simplification

peoplewritingjournalismessays

Dec 23

Kairos and Chronos

Qualitative time versus quantitative time — the right moment versus the measured duration

timephilosophyperception

Dec 23

Kelly Criterion

Optimal bet sizing for long-term wealth growth

riskprobabilitybetting

Dec 23

Keyline Design

Water follows geometric patterns — design with them instead of against them

permaculturewaterdesignland

Dec 23

Keystone Species

Species with disproportionate impact on ecosystem structure

ecologysystemsnature

Dec 23

Kintsugi

Golden repair — making breaks visible rather than hiding them

aestheticsjapanesecraftrepair +1

Dec 23

Lacto-Fermentation

Preservation through lactic acid bacteria and salt

fermentationfoodpreservation

Dec 23

Land

Working with natural systems instead of against them

permaculturehomesteading

Dec 23

Language

How language shapes thought and structures understanding

linguisticscognitioncommunication

Dec 23

Linguistic Determinism

The strong claim that language shapes what thoughts are possible

linguisticscognitionphilosophylanguage

Dec 23

Local Optima

Why good enough prevents great — the trap of hill climbing

systemsoptimizationevolution

Dec 23

Ma ref

The space that makes the rest visible

aestheticsjapanesespacejapanese-aesthetics

Dec 23

Load Paths

How forces flow through structures — the intuition behind structural integrity

constructionengineeringdesign

Dec 23

Map and Territory

The model is never the thing it models

epistemologymodelsabstraction

Dec 23

Mapping

When controls match effects spatially, understanding follows

designinterfacescognition

Dec 23

McNamara Fallacy

When we measure what's easy instead of what matters

epistemologysystemsdecisions

Dec 23

Mechanism Design

Designing games to produce desired outcomes

game-theoryeconomicsdesign

Dec 23

Metaphors We Live By

Lakoff and Johnson's theory that conceptual metaphors structure understanding

linguisticscognitionlanguage

Dec 23

Medical Epistemology

How medicine knows — the structure of clinical reasoning under uncertainty

medicinecognitionuncertainty

Dec 23

Metis

Local, practical knowledge that can't be written down

epistemologycraftsystems

Dec 23

Michael Polanyi ref

Philosopher who articulated what we know but cannot say

peoplephilosophyknowledgecraft

Dec 23

Mimetic Desire

René Girard's insight — we want what others want

psychologyphilosophyculture

Dec 23

Mithridatism

Building tolerance through controlled exposure to harm

antifragilitysystemsmedicine

Dec 23

Mono no Aware

The bittersweet awareness of impermanence

aestheticsjapaneseimpermanencejapanese-aesthetics

Dec 23

Moral Hazard

Why people take more risks when someone else bears the cost

economicsriskincentives

Dec 23

Movement

Embodied cognition and the body as instrument of thought

bodycognitionpractice

Dec 23

Multiple Discovery ref

The same invention appearing independently at the same time

innovationhistoryideas

Dec 23

Narrative Fallacy

Our compulsion to fit random events into causal stories

psychologyepistemologycognition

Dec 23

Nash Equilibrium

When no player benefits from unilaterally changing strategy

game-theorystrategyeconomics

Dec 23

Nassim Nicholas Taleb ref

Risk theorist who writes in antifragile aphorisms

peoplerisksystemswriting

Dec 23

Navigation

How humans and animals find their way through space

wayfindingcognitionspace

Dec 23

Network Effects

When a product becomes more valuable as more people use it

economicssystemstechnology

Dec 23

Nurse Crops

Temporary plantings that protect and prepare soil, then remove themselves

permacultureecologysystemsland

Dec 23

Opportunity Cost

The road not taken — what you give up by choosing

economicsdecisionsconstraints

Dec 23

O-Ring Theory

When the weakest link determines the whole — why small failures cause total collapse

systemseconomicsrisk

Dec 23

Paradigm Shifts

How entire fields abandon one worldview for another

epistemologysciencechange

Dec 23

Path Dependence

Why history matters — how early choices lock in

systemshistoryeconomics

Dec 23

A Pattern Language

Christopher Alexander's radical claim that quality is objective

designarchitecturesystems

Dec 23

Paul Graham ref

Essayist who writes to discover what he thinks

peoplewritingstartupsthinking

Dec 23

Peak-End Rule

Memory averages peaks and endings, not totals

psychologycognitiontime

Dec 23

Phase Transitions

How systems flip suddenly between states — the physics of discontinuous change

physicssystemscomplexity

Dec 23

Pluralistic Ignorance

When everyone privately rejects what everyone publicly accepts

psychologycoordinationsystems

Dec 23

Polynesian Wayfinding

Non-instrument navigation across the Pacific Ocean

navigationcultureperception

Dec 23

Positional Hierarchy

BJJ's map of dominance — positions ranked by control and opportunity

martial-artsstrategysystemsgrappling

Dec 23

Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy

Organizations end up serving those who serve the organization

systemsorganizationsincentives

Dec 23

Power Laws

Distributions where extremes dominate — when averages lie

mathematicssystemsrisk

Dec 23

Preference Falsification

When everyone privately disagrees with what they publicly support

psychologysystemscoordination

Dec 23

Principal-Agent Problem

Why delegation fails — when your agent has different interests

economicssystemsgovernance

Dec 23

Prisoner's Dilemma

Why rational agents defect against collective interest

game-theorycooperationstrategy

Dec 23

Proprioception

The sense of body position — the hidden foundation of movement

movementperceptionbody

Dec 23

Prototyping

Making to think — how physical iteration reveals what drawings hide

designcraftmaking

Dec 23

Radical Monopoly ref

When a technology becomes mandatory for participation

technologysocietydependency

Dec 23

Reactive Devaluation

Why we reject proposals just because the enemy made them

psychologynegotiationcoordination

Dec 23

Reading Material

Understanding what materials want to do — working with grain, not against it

craftmaterialsmaking

Dec 23

Rebound Effect ref

Efficiency gains that increase total consumption

economicsefficiencyenergy

Dec 23

Redundancy

Why backup systems matter — the cost that prevents catastrophe

systemsengineeringrisk

Dec 23

Regression to the Mean

Why extreme performances don't persist — and why we misunderstand why

statisticsepistemologysystems

Dec 23

Richard Dawkins ref

Biologist who made genes and memes tools for thinking

peoplebiologyevolutionwriting

Dec 23

Richard Feynman ref

Physicist who made explanation a moral act

peoplephysicsteachingwriting

Dec 23

Risk

Probability, uncertainty, and decision-making under incomplete information

probabilitydecision-makingeconomics

Dec 23

Risk vs Uncertainty

Knight's distinction between known and unknown probability distributions

riskprobabilitydecision-making

Dec 23

Runaway Processes

When positive feedback escapes control

systemsdynamicsriskfeedback-loops

Dec 23

Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

The theory that language structures and constrains thought

linguisticscognitionlanguage

Dec 23

Satisficing

Good enough beats optimal when search is costly

decisionscognitionrationality

Dec 23

Sayre's Law

Why academic politics are so vicious — the stakes are so low

organizationspsychologyincentives

Dec 23

Schelling Points

Coordination without communication through shared expectations

game-theorycoordinationstrategy

Dec 23

Schelling Segregation

How mild preferences create extreme outcomes

systemscomplexityemergence

Dec 23

Scott Alexander ref

Blogger who makes long essays easy to read

peoplewritingrationalitypsychiatry

Dec 23

Second-Order Effects

Consequences of consequences — why interventions backfire

systemscomplexitydecisions

Dec 23

Selection

How complex order emerges from dumb iteration

systemsevolutioncomplexitycognition

Dec 23

The Self-Sufficiency Paradox

Why complete independence is a myth — and counterproductive

homesteadingsystemscommunityland

Dec 23

Shibusa ref

Beauty with inner implications

aestheticsjapanesedesignjapanese-aesthetics

Dec 23

Shirky Principle

Institutions will preserve the problem they exist to solve

systemsincentivesorganizations

Dec 23

Shokunin ref

Craftsman who polishes technique and heart through daily practice

craftjapanesemastery

Dec 23

Shoshin

Beginner's mind — the openness that expertise tends to close

learningzencraft

Dec 23

Signal and Noise

Information theory's core distinction — what matters versus what obscures

informationepistemologysystems

Dec 23

Simpson's Paradox

When trends reverse as you combine or separate data

statisticsepistemologycomplexity

Dec 23

Skin in the Game

How exposure to consequences creates competence and legitimacy

leadershipsystemsrisk

Dec 23

Soil Food Web

The living ecosystem beneath our feet that makes agriculture possible

ecologyagriculturesystems

Dec 23

Specialization Trap

When expertise becomes a prison

craftsystemsselection

Dec 23

Stacking Functions

Every element serves multiple purposes; every purpose has multiple supports

permaculturedesignsystemsland

Dec 23

Starter Cultures

Living libraries of microorganisms maintained across generations

fermentationfoodculture

Dec 23

Steven Johnson ref

Writer who traces how ideas emerge from networks and niches

peopleinnovationsystemswriting

Dec 23

Stephen Jay Gould ref

Paleontologist who wrote essays as a mind in motion

peoplebiologyevolutionwriting

Dec 23

Stewart Brand ref

Editor who thinks on civilizational timescales

peopletechnologyecologytime

Dec 23

Stigmergy

How agents coordinate through environmental traces, not direct communication

systemscoordinationemergence

Dec 23

Stockmanship

The art of reading and working with animal behavior

animalscraftperception

Dec 23

Streetlight Effect

Searching where the light is, not where the answer is

epistemologymethodologysystems

Dec 23

Sunk Cost Fallacy

Throwing good money after bad — why we can't walk away

psychologydecisionseconomics

Dec 23

Survival Hierarchy

Saulo Ribeiro's framework — survive first, win later

martial-artslearningstrategygrappling

Dec 23

Survivorship Bias

The error of studying winners while ignoring the dead

epistemologystatisticsrisk

Dec 23

Swales

Earthworks that slow, spread, and sink water into the landscape

permaculturewaterdesignland

Dec 23

Systems

How complex systems behave, adapt, and produce unintended consequences

systemscomplexity

Dec 23

Symbiosis

Evolution through cooperation — why merging often beats competing

biologyevolutionecology

Dec 23

Tacit Knowledge

We know more than we can tell

knowledgecraftexpertise

Dec 23

Technical Debt ref

A financial metaphor for deferred code quality

softwaremetaphortradeoffs

Dec 23

Tempo

The pace and rhythm of life and work

timerhythmlifestyle

Dec 23

Tennis

A game of geometry, pattern recognition, and mental management

tennislearning

Dec 23

Terroir

How place shapes flavor through environment and microbiome

fermentationfoodplace

Dec 23

The Knowledge

London taxi drivers' comprehensive mental map of the city

navigationexpertisememory

Dec 23

Thomas Schelling ref

Game theorist who showed how strangers coordinate without talking

peopleeconomicsgame-theorycoordination

Dec 23

Threshold Models

How collective action tips — the hidden distribution of conviction

systemscoordinationcomplexity

Dec 23

Time

How we experience and measure duration

perceptionphilosophyexperience

Dec 23

Tolerances

The space between parts — precision, fit, and the physics of assembly

craftmechanicsconstruction

Dec 23

Tools

How we make, maintain, and relate to the objects that extend our capabilities

crafttoolsdesign

Dec 23

Tragedy of the Anticommons

When too many gatekeepers prevent any use at all

economicscoordinationsystems

Dec 23

Tragedy of the Commons

Why shared resources get depleted — and how communities sometimes prevent it

economicssystemscoordination

Dec 23

Trophic Cascades

How predators reshape ecosystems from the top down

ecologysystemsnature

Dec 23

The 20-Second Window

The mental battle happens between points, not during them

tennispsychologyritual

Dec 23

The Two-Shot Rule

Points are won in two phases — setup creates opportunity, finish exploits it

tennisstrategypatterns

Dec 23

Vaclav Smil ref

Scientist who insists on numbers before opinions

peopleenergysystemswriting

Dec 23

Vernacular Architecture

Traditional building techniques that encode solutions without instruction manuals

architecturecraftdesign

Dec 23

Via Negativa

Improvement through removal rather than addition

systemsdesignantifragility

Dec 23

Wabi-sabi ref

Beauty in impermanence and imperfection

aestheticsjapanesematerialsjapanese-aesthetics

Dec 23

Wild Fermentation

Working with ambient microbes rather than commercial cultures

fermentationfoodcraft

Dec 23

Workmanship of Risk

David Pye's distinction between certainty and risk in making

craftmakingquality

Dec 23

Winning Ugly

Brad Gilbert's philosophy — outthink rather than outplay

strategycompetitiontennis

Dec 23

Zeitgeist ref

The spirit of the time that makes certain discoveries possible

ideasculturehistoryinnovation

Dec 23

Zone 5

Permaculture's wilderness zone — where we observe rather than manage

permaculturedesignecologyland

Dec 22

The Adjacent Possible

Innovation happens at the edges of what exists

innovationemergencecreativity

Dec 22

Bay Area Bikepacking

Overnight routes from the doorstep

bay-areabikes

Dec 22

Bikepacking Gear

What to carry and how to carry it

bikesgear

Dec 22

Bikepacking

Multi-day self-supported riding

bikesadventureoutdoors

Dec 22

Bikes

Two wheels, human power, infinite range

bikesmovementtravel

Dec 22

Chesterton's Fence

Don't remove what you don't understand

systemsdecisionsreform

Dec 22

Cobra Effect

When incentives make problems worse

incentivessystemsunintended-consequences

Dec 22

Conviviality

Tools that extend autonomy versus tools that replace it

technologytoolsautonomy

Dec 22

Craft

Making things with hands and tools

craftmaking

Dec 22

Dawn Patrol

Moving before the world wakes

ritualoutdoors

Dec 22

Design

Visual judgment and aesthetic decisions

designaesthetics

Dec 22

Desire Paths

Where people actually walk

designemergencebehaviorcognition

Dec 22

Emergence

Wholes have properties their parts don't have

systemscomplexityreductionism

Dec 22

Engineered Taste

How to train your eye

designcraft

Dec 22

Gall's Law

Complex systems that work evolved from simple ones that worked

systemsdesigncomplexity

Dec 22

Goodhart's Law

When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure

metricssystemsincentives

Dec 22

Hysteresis

Effects persist after causes are removed

systemseconomicspath-dependence

Dec 22

Jevons Paradox

Efficiency can increase total consumption

economicsenergysystems

Dec 22

Legibility

The violence of simplification

systemspowercomplexitycognition

Dec 22

Lindy Effect

For non-perishable things, longevity predicts longevity

timesystemsheuristics

Dec 22

Maintenance

The invisible work that keeps things running

infrastructuresystemscaretools

Dec 22

Materials

How things age, wear, and reveal quality

materialsqualitycraft

Dec 22

Models

Frameworks for understanding and deciding

mental-modelsthinking

Dec 22

Negative Space

What's absent defines what's present

designattentionabsencejapanese-aesthetics

Dec 22

Patina

How wear reveals quality

designmaterials

Dec 22

Ritual

Routines that structure time and attention

ritualroutinepractice

Dec 22

Rough Consensus

How the internet decided things

collaborationdecisionsinternetinnovation

Dec 22

Scenius

The intelligence of a whole cultural scene

creativitycollaborationcultureinnovation

Dec 22

Sharpening

Preparation as practice

craftmaintenancetools

Dec 22

Shifting Baseline Syndrome

Each generation accepts a degraded world as normal

perceptionenvironmentmemorysystems

Dec 22

Slack

The productive value of unused capacity

systemsefficiencyresiliencecognition

Dec 22

Texture

Surfaces that reward attention

materialscraftattention

Dec 22

The Jig

Fixtures that enable precision

crafttools

Dec 22

Useful Fictions

Mental models that are wrong but work

mental-modelsepistemologycognition

/notes

All entries