GeekPress

Airline Booking Tips

2026-04-07T00:01:00.004-07:00

"Tips for booking the cheapest airfare and best days to fly"

Not A Crisis

2026-04-06T00:01:00.004-07:00

"There is no imminent infectious disease crisis at the border"

Teaching Kids To Use Typewriters

2026-04-02T00:01:00.008-07:00

"A college instructor turns to typewriters to curb AI-written work and teach life lessons"

Like a rotary phone, the manual typewriter appears simple but is not intuitive to the smartphone generation. Phelps demonstrated how to feed the paper manually, striking the keys with force but not so hard the letters would smudge. She explained that the dinging bell signifies the end of a line and the need to manually return the carriage to start the next line. (“Oh,” said one student, “that’s why it’s called ‘return.’”)

Hsieh Forbes Column: Unintended Consequences Of Government Medical Payment Policies

2026-04-01T00:01:00.005-07:00

My latest Forbes column is now out:: "How Government Attempts To Reduce Health Spending Can Paradoxically Raise Health Costs"

Why Basketball Sneakers Squeak

2026-03-16T01:00:00.016-07:00

Nature article on why basketball sneakers squeak.

Summary of the Nature article from Beyond Euclid:

"High-speed cameras showed the rubber sole rapidly snapping and slipping against the floor on impact — hundreds of tiny wave pulses, similar to fault ruptures in earthquakes. The tread pattern forces these into regular intervals, producing a steady pitch instead of noise. Flat sole: random noise. Patterned tread: something close to a tone."

Spotting AI Voice

2026-03-13T01:01:00.005-07:00

How to detect AI-generated prose.

Winter Tire Update

2026-03-13T01:00:00.003-07:00

"These new winter tires have studs that retract as it warms up". (Via H.R.)

Cat Physics Update

2026-03-12T01:01:00.004-07:00

"Flexible feline spines shed light on 'falling cat' problem". (Via H.R.)

The First Multi-Behavior Brain Upload

2026-03-12T01:00:00.006-07:00

"The First Multi-Behavior Brain Upload". Click the Eon systems link to see the video. (Via G.F.)

Headphones On United Airlines

2026-03-05T08:00:00.005-07:00

"Good: United Threatens To Kick Off Passengers Who Don't Use Headphones"

AI Not Replacing Radiologists

2026-03-04T08:00:00.014-07:00

CNN: "This job has become the ultimate case study for why AI won't replace human workers"

From personal experience -- our practice is busier than ever, and we are still looking to hire more (not fewer) radiologists.

If LOTR Characters Had Access To Modern Level 1 Trauma Care

2026-03-03T08:00:00.007-07:00

Surgeon Dr. Ron Barbosa discusses how medical outcomes could have improved if major characters from Lord Of The Rings had had access to a modern Level 1 Trauma Center.

Hsieh Forbes Column On Coffee And Dementia Protection

2026-03-02T08:00:00.008-07:00

My latest Forbes column is out: "Coffee And Tea Consumption Associated With Lower Dementia Rates".

Key points: The anti-dementia benefit appears to apply to caffeinated coffee and tea, but not with decaf coffee.

Pollan On AI

2026-03-01T08:00:00.004-07:00

Michael Pollan: "AI Will Never Be Conscious"

Learning Languages

2026-02-26T08:00:00.004-07:00

"Why people fail at learning languages". (Via M.A.)

Old And Older English

2026-02-25T08:00:00.007-07:00

"How far back in time can you understand English?"

I can follow back to 1600, but beyond that it's more like a foreign language.

Powerful Vaccine

2026-02-24T08:00:00.005-07:00

"Single vaccine could protect against all coughs, colds and flus, researchers say"

Shatner Guitar Album

2026-02-23T08:00:00.005-07:00

"Shatner is making an album with 35 metal icons -- and an AI-generated Les Paul, apparently". (Via Dave J.)

AI And Math Proofs

2026-02-22T08:01:00.005-07:00

Daniel Litt: "Mathematics in the Library of Babel"

Light Posting Notice

2026-02-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Admin note: Due to external circumstance, posting may be very light/irregular for the next few weeks.

New Form Of Old Bigotry

2026-02-16T01:01:00.000-07:00

Garry Tan: "The New War on Asian American Excellence"

Asian Americans aren’t trespassers. We’re founders, investors, teachers, doctors, engineers, artists, and athletes. We create jobs. We build companies. We strengthen communities. And we will not apologize for existing, for succeeding, or for teaching our children that hard work matters.

NDE's Explained?

2026-02-13T01:01:00.006-07:00

The scientific debate over "near death experiences". Non-paywall link here.

Point-Counterpoint On AI And Societal Upheaval

2026-02-12T01:01:00.010-07:00

Matt Shumer argues that AI will cause tremendous economic/societal upheaval, "Something Big Is Happening".

Connor Boyack responds, invoking Bastiat's principle of the seen vs. the unseen: "AI isn't coming for your future. Fear is."

And from Tatiana Tsiguleva: "Matt wrote a lot about the jobs AI will eliminate. He barely mentioned the other list: the jobs AI will create."

All three essays are worth reading.

3D-Printed Food For Soldiers

2026-02-11T01:01:00.000-07:00

"Beyond MREs: The US Army Is Testing 3D-Printed Food for the Battlefield"

New Plastic

2026-02-10T01:01:00.012-07:00

"The compleximer: New type of plastic mixes glass-like shaping with impact resistance". (Via H.R.)