Tootfinder

Palantir removed three journalists from a security conference after they asked about its work with ICE and threatened to call police on a Wired reporter (Caroline Haskins/Wired)
https://www.wired.com/story/palantir-defense-conference-journalists/

Palantir Is Going on Defense
Palantir threatened to call police on a WIRED reporter and kicked out other journalists from a recent conference following reports of the data analytics firm’s work with the Trump administration.

Maryland DOT launches new policy of quick-fix road diets with paint & plastic "bollards" after initial test projects work well. Approach is try it for 6-9 months and see if it works in place of long studies.
https://www.

Maryland plans more ‘quick build’ road safety changes, citing success across state
Planners have a menu of traffic calming measures to consider for each site.

WATCH: 49ers' Trent Williams pancakes teammate in return to practice field following ankle injury

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/watch-4

So Builder . ai Mechanical Turked things and Microsoft (and others) were none the wiser.
Due diligence: boring stuff that when you skip it with catch up with you fast.
“Builder . ai’s platform relied on around 700 engineers based in India who manually wrote code based on customer requests. Despite the company marketing it as AI-generated, most of the work was done by humans behind the scenes.”

London AI startup Builder.ai collapses after 'human-powered' tech revelation
London AI startup Builder.ai collapses after 'human-powered' tech revelation

Over the last few months, I have filtered out most USA news, so I have basically a minimal knowledge of what is happening in that part of the world. To be honest, it's great! The same goes for tech, I work long 12-hour days and weekends as a sysadmin, and the last thing I want to see after those days is tech stuff. So, I read tech news through newsletters sent to an email address I only use for that purpose.
It’s making my life more relaxed not to care about what is happening on ot…

The Ohio Senate has decided to remove the Rejoining of the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission and eliminate the Passenger Rail Seat on the Ohio Rail Development Commission.
This is a huge setback over 75% of Ohioans support passenger rail! #transit

This https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.17433 has been replaced.
initial toot: https://mastoxiv.page/@arXiv_qbi…

Dynamical phases of short-term memory mechanisms in RNNs
Short-term memory is essential for cognitive processing, yet our understanding of its neural mechanisms remains unclear. Neuroscience has long focused on how sequential activity patterns, where neurons fire one after another within large networks, can explain how information is maintained. While recurrent connections were shown to drive sequential dynamics, a mechanistic understanding of this process still remains unknown. In this work, we introduce two unique mechanisms that can support this f…

This is our cats’ hedgehog. We never actually see them play with it, but it moves around the house all the time. Nearly every morning, after the first hour or two of my work day, I mysteriously find this little guy in the kitchen.

Welfare Reform: Consequences for the Children
Marianne Simonsen, Lars Skipper, Jeffrey A. Smith
https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.03927 https://

Welfare Reform: Consequences for the Children
This paper uses register-based data to analyze the consequences of a recent major Danish welfare reform for children's academic performance and well-being. In addition to work requirements, the reform brought about considerable reductions in welfare transfers. We implement a comparative event study that contrasts outcomes for individuals on welfare at the time of reform announcement before and after the implementation of the reform with the parallel development in outcomes for an uncontaminated…

"Guide to German Facial Expressions" based on extensive field work by @…: https://linguistgoneforeign.wordpress.…

Sources: Palantir's Foundry is now deployed in at least four federal agencies, after Trump signed an EO calling for the government to share data across agencies (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/…

Trump Taps Palantir to Compile Data on Americans
The Trump administration has expanded Palantir’s work with the government, spreading the company’s technology — which could easily merge data on Americans — throughout agencies.

This is our cats’ hedgehog. We never actually see them play with it, but it moves around the house all the time. Nearly every morning, after the first hour or two of my work day, I mysteriously find this little guy in the kitchen.

After struggling to get #Tvmarks to work for 4 months that fact that it just works now is truly wild.

Menelaus' and Ceva's theorems for translation triangles in Thurston geometries
Jen\H{o} Szirmai
https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.01354 https://

Menelaus' and Ceva's theorems for translation triangles in Thurston geometries
After having investigated and defined the ``surface of a translation-like triangle" in each non-constant curvature Thurston geometry \cite{Cs-Sz25}, we generalize the famous Menelaus' and Ceva's theorems for translation triangles in the mentioned spaces. The described method makes it possible to transfer further classical Euclidean theorems and notions to Thurston geometries with non-constant curvature. In our work we will use the projective models of Thurston geometries described by E. Moln�…

Result of many months of work - over 15,000 LEDs to make a dim room. For #neotropolis
The triangles on the front are segments of 32 addressable LEDs, but were just solid white most of the time. The window clock is sheets of WS2816 driven by Novastar processor. The columns are RGBW DMX512. (one color per column.)
The columns are laser cut. The mirror pieces are CNC'd with my home…

Towards Machine Unlearning for Paralinguistic Speech Processing
Orchid Chetia Phukan, Girish, Mohd Mujtaba Akhtar, Shubham Singh, Swarup Ranjan Behera, Vandana Rajan, Muskaan Singh, Arun Balaji Buduru, Rajesh Sharma
https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.02230

Towards Machine Unlearning for Paralinguistic Speech Processing
In this work, we pioneer the study of Machine Unlearning (MU) for Paralinguistic Speech Processing (PSP). We focus on two key PSP tasks: Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) and Depression Detection (DD). To this end, we propose, SISA++, a novel extension to previous state-of-the-art (SOTA) MU method, SISA by merging models trained on different shards with weight-averaging. With such modifications, we show that SISA++ preserves performance more in comparison to SISA after unlearning in benchmark SE…

Maximally recoverable codes with locality and availability
Umberto Mart\'inez-Pe\~nas, V. Lalitha
https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.24573 https://

Maximally recoverable codes with locality and availability
In this work, we introduce maximally recoverable codes with locality and availability. We consider locally repairable codes (LRCs) where certain subsets of $ t $ symbols belong each to $ N $ local repair sets, which are pairwise disjoint after removing the $ t $ symbols, and which are of size $ r+δ-1 $ and can correct $ δ-1 $ erasures locally. Classical LRCs with $ N $ disjoint repair sets and LRCs with $ N $-availability are recovered when setting $ t = 1 $ and $ t=δ-1=1 $, respectively. Al…

A continuum mechanics approach for the deformation of non-Euclidean origami generated by piecewise constant nematic director fields
Linjuan Wang, Fan Feng
https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.01309

A continuum mechanics approach for the deformation of non-Euclidean origami generated by piecewise constant nematic director fields
We merge classical origami concepts with active actuation by designing origami patterns whose panels undergo prescribed metric changes. These metric changes render the system non-Euclidean, inducing non-zero Gaussian curvature at the vertices after actuation. Such patterns can be realized by programming piecewise constant director fields in liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) sheets. In this work, we address the geometric design of both compatible reference director patterns and their corresponding …

Around the turn of this century, a composer named Camille Saint-Saens wrote
a satirical zoological-fantasy called "Le Carnaval des Animaux." Aside from
one movement of this piece, "The Swan", Saint-Saens didn't allow this work
to be published or even performed until a year had elapsed after his death.
(He died in 1921.)
Most of us know the "Swan" movement rather well, with its smooth,
flowing cello melody against a calm backgr…

Reply to the Comment on "Shell-Shaped Quantum Droplet in a Three-Component Ultracold Bose Gas"
Yinfeng Ma, Xiaoling Cui
https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.01436

Reply to the Comment on "Shell-Shaped Quantum Droplet in a Three-Component Ultracold Bose Gas"
In our work (Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 043402 (2025)), we have proposed to realize a shell-shaped BEC with self-bound character in a three-component ($1,2,3$) Bose gas, where $(2,3)$ and $(1,2)$ both form quantum droplets and meanwhile are linked as core-shell structure. It was then commented in 2505.16554 that such structure is unstable against decaying to a ``dimer" configuration with lower energy, and moreover, it is ``most likely" impossible to be realized after releasing from the trap. In cont…

I'm setting up a new device for someone who wants to try out Linux. What distro would you recommend?
Some information about the user:
- uses MacOS currently
- wants stuff to work (minimal tinkering after setup)
- quick to boot
The device will probs be quite an old device (~3-5 years old, 8gb RAM though) and is mostly to run OBS. I'll check system requirements when I know the device ofc, just wondering what you people think is a good distro for them.

I've tried *again* to write a blog post (about my new corne layout) but failed *again* after 5 lines.
It really requires more focus and time than what I can give after work. On a great way to complete my 0 post challenge this year. Nothing can stop me !!! -evil laugh-

The new documentary, “Lawrence Welk: A North Dakota Farm Boy”will premiere May 31 at the North Dakota Heritage Center on May 31.
"Born to German-Russian immigrant parents in Strasburg, ND, Lawrence Welk built a strong work ethic and love for music growing up on the family farmstead. After touring the Midwest in his 20s, he was scouted by ABC in 1955 to create the iconic "The Lawrence Welk Show,” "

The weather was too good to not run outside, and skip the treadmill last Thursday! First time running outside at my work running route this year after returning to the work FT this month, and it was spectacular!
Not expecting to hit a sub 8 minute mile, especially with my health issues, but if it happens, I'll be elated!
#running

Home again, after a week and some. Today I made biscuits! Egg and bacon, tea and coffee. Work, transit board meeting, and play at our local Spanish-language theater tonight: “La Dama Boba” #TogetherBreakfast https://photos.app.goo.gl/7S7RtWAatP5Ps1ZN8

This https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.21810 has been replaced.
initial toot: https://mastoxiv.page/@arXiv_…

SHARAD Illuminates Deeper Martian Subsurface Structures with a Boost from Very Large Rolls of the MRO Spacecraft
Throughout its mission, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has often rolled about its along-track axis by up to 28° to partially compensate for the suboptimal location of the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) antenna along an edge of the spacecraft that is opposite the imaging payload deck, thereby enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of echoes returned from the surface. After recent modeling work predicted that a much larger roll would improve the S/N by ~10 dB relative to nadir-pointed observin…

"You are a software worker. And you are able to do your job in more or less good conditions only because you are standing on the shoulders of countless others. We are talking about the fact that if you have 20 days of holidays, if you only work 5 days a week, if you are able to take some days or weeks off after the birth of your child, it is because some others before you have sacrificed their lives so you can work in decent conditions."

This https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.00874 has been replaced.
initial toot: https://mastoxiv.page/@arXiv_csDL_…

Paper Copilot Position: The Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Community Should Adopt a More Transparent and Regulated Peer Review Process
The rapid growth of submissions to top-tier Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) conferences has prompted many venues to transition from closed to open review platforms. Some have fully embraced open peer reviews, allowing public visibility throughout the process, while others adopt hybrid approaches, such as releasing reviews only after final decisions or keeping reviews private despite using open peer review systems. In this work, we analyze the strengths and limitations of …

"You should know Trump isn’t doing this on his own. The Hoover Institution has been plotting revenge against FDR since 1932. Groups like the Heritage Foundation and Heartland Foundation are generations old. The Federalist Society has been promising to overturn liberal justice since the 1960s. The Religious Right started working to overturn Roe v. Wade the day it was promulgated. All these groups have big money, and they play the long game.
What’s happening today is their platform, backed by their research. The fact it won’t work, that the 20th century won’t be put back into a bottle, that the Amendments put in place after 1865 somehow aren’t part of the “real” Constitution, is yet to be proven by events."
https://danafblankenhorn.substack.com/p/all-in-the-family

True story time, from about 8 years ago.
After work, I joined few co-workers for happy hour. I had 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks, then cut myself off and drank soda rest of the night, for many reasons including I wanted to be 100% sober to drive home.
One guy was rude, insisted I keep drinking, said I was ruining the fun.
Kids, be your own person. Be stubborn. Don't let someone pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. No means no.
1/x

If you read the headlines or on social media, you’ve seen what’s happening.
• The career professional laid off after 22 years who can't get rehired
• The small business owner who can’t keep up with tariffs or inflation
• The young adult feeling like they’ll never be able to afford a home
• The retiree forced back to work after their retirement account took a hit
These aren't isolated incidents. They're symptoms of a fundamental shift.

Three months after the fires, I finally took a break from work, disaster management, and re-establishing domestic infrastructure. I flew up the Owens Valley to Lone Pine, and and spent last weekend walking in the desert, biking in the foothills, and gazing at the stars.
#aviation #California

SHARAD Illuminates Deeper Martian Subsurface Structures with a Boost from Very Large Rolls of the MRO Spacecraft
Nathaniel E. Putzig, Gareth A. Morgan, Matthew R. Perry, Bruce A. Campbell, Jennifer L. Whitten, Fabrizio Bernardini, Alessandro DiCarlofelice, Pierfrancesco Lombardo
https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.21810

SHARAD Illuminates Deeper Martian Subsurface Structures with a Boost from Very Large Rolls of the MRO Spacecraft
Throughout its mission, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has often rolled about its along-track axis by up to 28° to partially compensate for the suboptimal location of the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) antenna along an edge of the spacecraft that is opposite the imaging payload deck, thereby enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of echoes returned from the surface. After recent modeling work predicted that a much larger roll would improve the S/N by ~10 dB relative to nadir-pointed observin…

Bought a couple breadboard power supplies from Canaduino awhile back. Noticed one on a friends bench and after examining it decided I needed one too. Better than the ones with linear chips. If this fails it just stops working does not send whatever source voltage was to your project. Took awhile to get. They used a shipper called Sendle to ship it from Canada to the U.S.
Anyway I looked around and ordered one of these to to send to the niece.

Electronic Education DIY Kit “The broken code lock” (Troubleshooting Project)
A DIY soldering kit with “integrated” design flaws. Understand the working principle, find the mistakes on the PCB and in the schematics, and make it work.

I'm now with my buddy Shaun who sadly recently lost his girl Dotty. I looked after the two of them this time last year, so this time it's just me and the old boy. I've still got my work cut out for me though: Shaun normally likes to walk about 15km per day!
#Greyhounds #AdoptDontShop

The constant choice I have to make with LLM usage appears to be ... is it faster to correct this LLM output or do this work from scratch. Was this the future we were promised?
I am not sure if the Pillsbury company would be nearly as successful if you had to fix the recipe after opening the can.

This https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.22694 has been replaced.
initial toot: https://mastoxiv.page/@arXiv_mat…

On the Marinus--Ptolemy and Delisle--Euler conical maps
We examine connections between the mathematics behind methods of drawing geographical maps due, on the one hand to Marinos and Ptolemy (1st-2nd c. CE) and on the other hand to Delisle and Euler (18th century). A recent work by the first two authors of this article shows that methods of Delisle and Euler for drawing geographical maps, which are improvements of methods of Marinus and Ptolemy, are best among a collection of geographical maps we term ``conical''. This is an instance where after pra…

If you read the headlines or on social media, you’ve seen what’s happening.
• The career professional laid off after 22 years who can't get rehired
• The small business owner who can’t keep up with tariffs or inflation
• The young adult feeling like they’ll never be able to afford a home
• The retiree forced back to work after their retirement account took a hit
These aren't isolated incidents. They're symptoms of a fundamental shift.

I'm now with my buddy Shaun who sadly recently lost his girl Dotty. I looked after the two of them this time last year, so this time it's just me and the old boy. I've still got my work cut out for me though: Shaun normally likes to walk about 15km per day!
#Greyhounds #AdoptDontShop

Bought a couple breadboard power supplies from Canaduino awhile back. Noticed one on a friends bench and after examining it decided I needed one too. Better than the ones with linear chips. If this fails it just stops working does not send whatever source voltage was to your project. Took awhile to get. They used a shipper called Sendle to ship it from Canada to the U.S.
Anyway I looked around and ordered one of these to to send to the niece.

Electronic Education DIY Kit “The broken code lock” (Troubleshooting Project)
A DIY soldering kit with “integrated” design flaws. Understand the working principle, find the mistakes on the PCB and in the schematics, and make it work.