Bayesian broadcast newsletter, E03
Gautam Bhanage
Published at www.bhanage.com
Jul 2026
About
These are a mishmash of interesting articles I have read over a period of time, approximately over a quarter. Articles are referenced in no particular order. Topics are all over the place ranging from science, engineering, philosophy, programming to anything that sounds remotely interesting. None of these serve as personal recommendations or endorsements. Purely for fun.
Quotes and quips
Quotes that stuck with me recently -
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.” - Arthur C. Clarke (Author)
In the recent context of AI growth, this came back to my mind. “The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that men will begin to think like computers”. - Sydney Harris (Journalist)
“If we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our executioner.” - Omar Bradley (General, US Army). Another one which is relevant in how we use and build with AI.
My Thoughts
“If something like a supermassive black hole can be ejected out of its host galaxy, remember everyone is expendible” - Gautam Bhanage, Jul 2026
Interesting articles/links
The article, "Reports of code's death are greatly exaggerated," by Steve Krouse, challenges the contemporary narrative that AI and "vibe coding" (natural language instruction) will render traditional programming and formal code obsolete. Krouse argues that while AI excels at turning vague intent into functional artifacts, this creates a dangerous "illusion of precision." As systems scale, the inherent complexity of software—illustrated by examples like live collaboration or Slack’s notification logic—inevitably leads to "leaky abstractions" and system failure. The author contends that the true power of programming lies not in syntax, but in abstraction: the recursive compression of complexity into precise, manageable semantic levels.
Historians identified Galileo's handwritten notes in an ancient copy of Ptolemy's Almagest, revealing that his revolutionary shift toward heliocentrism was rooted in a deep, prayerful mastery of the very geocentric mathematics he would eventually overturn
Notable open source repositories
Zstd - Zstandard, or zstd as a short version, is a fast lossless compression algorithm, targeting real-time compression scenarios at zlib-level and better compression ratios.
Apollo-11 assembly code: Original Apollo 11 guidance computer (AGC) source code for Command Module (Comanche055) and Lunar Module (Luminary099). Interesting File: BURN_BABY_BURN--MASTER_IGNITION_ROUTINE.agc is the most famous file, containing the Lunar Module's master ignition code and humorous 1960s pop-culture references.
Baremetal ram dumper - Allows the user to raw dump the RAM
Research papers
Pathshapes: This research presents a robust, autonomous self-localization scheme that uses Generalized Suffix Trees to match relative vehicle movement "shapes" against a road network, achieving GPS-level precision without external signals. Original PDF
Closing comments
Have a good break for the 250th independence day in the US. Happy 4th!
