The difference between human learning and LLM in-context learning?

I have my Dad's old number and his new number in my phone. I do not call the old number.

(To be fair, we *can* transmute metals these days. It's just incredibly expensive.)

"Oh, but <famous thought leader> said..." Yeah, and Newton believed in alchemy.

Still no sign of any gold, though.

It's fascinating how many folks think that reasoning about the behaviour of code is obsolete. Even more fascinating how many thought it was obsolete before LLM code generation took off.

I'm trying to imagine writing, reading or modifying code with no internal mental model of its semantics.

It's a little disappointing seeing companies who you'd *think* might have followed the data on AI coding falling back on appeals to authority instead.

You won't find your moat in an averaging machine.

5 code craft workshops in 2 days. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to listen to some heavy music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL9Aohgd79I

Extracts a block of code from an instance method that references instance members into a function, and makes the function const. Doesn't compile.

Extract Method in CLion on MacOS works spiffy. On Windows, it appears to be broken.

The out-of-hours Code Craft workshops for self-funding learners are always a pleasure.

Next Code Craft & AI workshop is on October 6th. 50% of places still available. Entirely evidence-based and hype-free. Y'know, if reality's your thing.

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/codemanship/2324138

My neighbour has started accepted my deliveries WHILE I'M IN.

Watched Lookout, after it lingered in the Amazon top 10 for so long despite a poor IMDB rating.

First 2/3rd, atmospheric & unsettling. Final 1/3rd, straight-to-video fare.

Influences: Under The Skin & The X Files.

I'm giving it a 6/10 for the first 2/3rds. So 4/10.

IMDB rating: 3.8

Dear delivery people, turning up early is not "good service" if it's outside the time window the customer selected. It is bad service. Like a train that leaves before the timetable says.

My workshop on Code Craft & AI builds on the available evidence, not on hype and wishful thinking. It might be the only one that does.

2 places left on tomorrow's at 18:45 GMT + 1 for self-funding learners. Absolute bargain at £99 + VAT.

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/codemanship/2324138

Wanna know what the data actually says?

https://codemanship.wordpress.com/2026/08/12/ai-software-development-what-does-the-data-say/

And online discourse about AI increasingly resembles an episode of Ancient Aliens. One of the more far-fetched ones.

AI-assisted productivity claims are like reports of ghosts, flying saucers and Big Foot - the better the evidence, the less sensational the claim.

It's interesting that Google's compliance with non-law government directives regarding the names of bodies of water is so blazingly fast, because, they say, it's their responsibility under the law and they're just following orders...

...and yet their compliance with laws regarding labor rights, collective bargaining, sexual harrassment, and workforce diversity was and is glacial, despite being actual laws.

Every response is a choice.

While you're figuring out how to coordinate software changes across multiple teams, taken a moment to ask yourself *why* you need to coordinate software changes across so many teams.

If you told me I had to go back to using the software I relied on 30 years ago, but running on today's hardware, I'd take that deal.