Indo-European is a perpetual mind-warp for mundanes like me who have limited education in it.

Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn’t have fallen in love with?

My answer: yes.

Crucial Track for 05 September 2025

"Einstein on the Beach: Knee 5" by The Philip Glass Ensemble

Listen on Apple Music

We can argue about Philip Glass. When I was a kid I stayed up late to listen to Einstein on the Beach performed on Radio 3. It blew me away. Here's Knee 5. Imagine you're an awkward kid who likes music, maths, science and Star Trek - and reserve judgement.

View Miles Metcalfe's Crucial Tracks profile

Which scene is the most convincing portrayal of coots in a movie? My starter for 10 is the Cafe Gustav scene in the Man from UNCLE

Do our principles-free, neoliberal managerialist politicians not realise they have been played by the fascist-adjacent oligarchy, or have they been well paid not to notice?

Tip for politicians: don’t begin every statement with “I am clear”. It sounds stupid and we know by now it means “I am lying”.

To risk stating the obvious: LLM benchmarks are bullshit not because LLM vendors game them, but because the benchmarks are proxies for general human ability and intelligence. They are in no way proxies for the general abilities of statistical models, even if they weren’t gamed.

Ordered a Chromebook from Amazon. Went to the locker where it was delivered and found an open bottle of Lucozade and a roll of duck tape instead.