26 programming languages in 25 days, Part 2: Reflections on language design

In theory, behavior change should be easy. At first glance, it seems like you control your behavior. So, if you desire different behavior, why doesn’t your behavior change as instantly as your desire to change it? In short, lasting change of habitual behaviors is a multi-stage process. In 1977, as psychologists James Prochaska and Carlo...

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjournery are able to replicate (and often exceed) human-like performance on tasks like taking exams, generating text and making art. Even to seasoned programmers, their abilities can seem magical. But, obviously, there is no magic. These things are “just” artificial neural networks – circuits inspired by...

Compared to prior versions, GPT-4 is more capable at writing fiction. Combined with its advances in reasoning, this allows it to maintain a consistent state in a fictional universe as it emulates a text-based adventure game like the classic Zork. In this article, I’ll explain how to convert GPT-4 into a game engine for interactive text-based...

Since making a sudden leap from computer science to academic medicine about seven years ago, I haven’t programmed as much. I love what I do in medicine and biology, and I love helping patients. But, I have missed programming – and programming languages. Then I came across the Advent of Code on Mastodon – a series of daily two-part puzzles for...

The ability to avoid temptation is a modern superpower. With temptation ubiquitous, avoiding it is essential in fighting procrastination; keeping finances healthy; managing diet and weight; boosting productivity; and maintaining healthy relationships. Avoiding temptation hard because before you are trapped – while you are becoming trapped – you...