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Theo Richter

Former philosophy student turned systems analyst. I have a habit of overexplaining in code comments and in life. Always circling the question a little longer than most people have patience for.

An illustration of a robot presenting a blueprint that contains a subtle flaw.

Dan Houser, AI, and the Boring Middle of the Hype Curve

Dan Houser’s skepticism about AI in game development fits the evidence: current systems are powerful pattern tools but brittle storytellers, best used to extend human craft, not to replace it.

An illustration of a chaotic mix of online reviews, with some negative reviews being removed or filtered out.

Anonymous Reviews, Invisible Power

Google Maps’ new anonymous reviews promise privacy but quietly shift risk and power: reviewers lose social accountability, businesses face more opaque harm, and Google becomes the sole arbiter of which ghost voices shape local reputations.

An illustration of an algorithm processing different types of reviews and prioritizing those from tourists.

The Tourist, the Local, and the Lying 4.7‑Star Average

Tourist “uplift” in restaurant ratings is a clean example of how mismatched user motivations warp data, mislead algorithms, and quietly push locals out of trusting and participating in platform feedback systems.

An illustration of a person working on a laptop while being distracted by colorful, swirling musical notes.

What Binaural Beats and Boss Battle Music Teach Us About Attention

In Texas, a teenage tester ran a simple focus test with kids, feeding slightly different tones into each ear, and got results that grown-up neuroscientists are still arguing about. Binaural beats seem to help people pay attention, while video game music sometimes makes things worse. Science News for Students gave

An illustration of an algorithm processing different types of reviews and prioritizing those from tourists.

The Tourist, the Local, and the Lying 4.7‑Star Average

Tourist “uplift” in restaurant ratings is a clean example of how mismatched user motivations warp data, mislead algorithms, and quietly push locals out of trusting and participating in platform feedback systems.

A stylized illustration of an unstable stack of 'AI' blocks on a platform edge, with small insect-like figures at the bottom.

The Rational AI Bubble and Its Cockroaches

If you hang around markets long enough, you start hearing a certain shrug in the voices of the people who frequent them. Of course it ends in tears, they say, about whatever’s currently up and to the right. The only questions are where the tears will land and how