August 2026 archive
Some of my favorite short stories are told from the point of view
of what I'd call a clueless narrator.
In one story, the narrator thinks a friend of his is preoccupied with trivial matters when in fact the friend is quietly aware of something important and uses his knowledge to take advantage of the narrator.
At least, that's how I read the story. The way that the friend's insight is only implied is part of what I love about the story. Show, don't tell.
An exegesis I read yesterday zeroes in on the passage where all that is happening but doesn't say a word about the implication that I think is key to why the story is so great.
When I try to imply things in my own writing, it's often hard for me to know whether I'm being so indirect that readers will miss the point or whether I'm spelling it out too clearly.
In one story, the narrator thinks a friend of his is preoccupied with trivial matters when in fact the friend is quietly aware of something important and uses his knowledge to take advantage of the narrator.
At least, that's how I read the story. The way that the friend's insight is only implied is part of what I love about the story. Show, don't tell.
An exegesis I read yesterday zeroes in on the passage where all that is happening but doesn't say a word about the implication that I think is key to why the story is so great.
When I try to imply things in my own writing, it's often hard for me to know whether I'm being so indirect that readers will miss the point or whether I'm spelling it out too clearly.
I almost ran over a rattlesnake while bike riding yesterday.
Later in the ride a small pack of coyotes crossed
the road in front of me. I like seeing wildlife when
I'm out riding.
I went riding again today and I passed by a few cows: not wildlife but a reason to say moo even though they never say it back.
Later in the ride I came upon this:
Also not wildlife but a snake on the road two days in a row is spooky.
I went riding again today and I passed by a few cows: not wildlife but a reason to say moo even though they never say it back.
Later in the ride I came upon this:
Also not wildlife but a snake on the road two days in a row is spooky.
Snake-in-the-Box was probably the best math problem I'll ever find.
I encountered it at a moment when there was still progress to
be made that was within my reach. I had great fun working on it.
I was feeling urgency to get more results before anyone brought AI to bear on the problem. I didn't know when that day would come but I figured it was inevitable.
Last month, a team of 10 people published Snake-in-the-Box results significantly exceeding what I had been able to achieve. They didn't (yet) say how they did it but it's likely AI played a big role. I probably can't compete anymore.
I'm not alone in this regard. AI is making inroads in various areas of mathematics. People way more skilled than I are being outdone by AI.
It's time for me to turn my attention to something else, which won't feel the same. I've come to have a certain affection for the Snake-in-the-Box problem.
It's like I'm a teenage boy who's had his heart broken, my mom is telling me there are other fish in the sea, and I want to roll my eyes and say, "Mom, girls are not fungible."
I was feeling urgency to get more results before anyone brought AI to bear on the problem. I didn't know when that day would come but I figured it was inevitable.
Last month, a team of 10 people published Snake-in-the-Box results significantly exceeding what I had been able to achieve. They didn't (yet) say how they did it but it's likely AI played a big role. I probably can't compete anymore.
I'm not alone in this regard. AI is making inroads in various areas of mathematics. People way more skilled than I are being outdone by AI.
It's time for me to turn my attention to something else, which won't feel the same. I've come to have a certain affection for the Snake-in-the-Box problem.
It's like I'm a teenage boy who's had his heart broken, my mom is telling me there are other fish in the sea, and I want to roll my eyes and say, "Mom, girls are not fungible."