Ky-Cuong Huynh

Figuring out things work, how they break, and how to make them better

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

> The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better. All three statements are true at the same time.

> If we want more people to dedicate their energy and money to making the world a better place, then we should make it much more widely known that it is possible to make the world a better place.

Go find friends who aren’t content to accept the status quo: https://t.co/2O0nO5bvJr .

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

I no longer post here regularly, but my DMs remain open to all. :)

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

Once in while you come across something that reminds you how magical software can be. @felt is a great example, and the best map-making tool I've ever used: https://t.co/mQKnc7Ybif

I can't believe no one's built this until now. 🗺️

(I have no link to them, no sponsorship, etc.)

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

You have to figure out what’s true about the world before you can decide what’s (morally) right: https://t.co/oDHwZtjTWp

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

Or as I often put it: make others’ hindsight your foresight. Just don’t blindly follow advice from someone with very different circumstances.

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

My favorite read and lesson from today: focus on learning from people just ahead of you on the curve/path: https://t.co/fS8DJnM9Vi

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

A lesson I relearn every time I go outdoors: spend less on gear, spend more on training.

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

A universal influenza vaccine is finally on the horizon: https://t.co/Hb4C3KCVQf

There’s more to study (this was in mice + ferrets, not humans) and the road to production and distribution will be non-trivial. But these are all known problems with known solutions. Keep it up!

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

Send help: there is so much interesting content on the Internet and so little health-span.

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

I remember reading the announcement for Asterisk on the Effective Altruism forums and chuckling at the name's clever connotations.

But the result is beautiful and amazing: https://t.co/PyuV3U4ezu

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

What are the experts doing to guard against COVID in advance of the holidays?

https://t.co/0CnqmiJXVU

Me personally:

* Rapid-testing before gatherings (this has caught 2 cases)
* Masking indoors when it doesn't make a social difference
* Enjoying life armed with knowledge!

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

Imagine a world where testing for common respiratory diseases at home was as easy as taking a temperature: https://t.co/Mgf0wMcSNJ

We could have that world literally next year. We need only get out of our own way.

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

@elicitorg Just imagine how capable it would be with a language model specialized to scientific literature like Galactica!

https://t.co/HhDh9fI1B2

https://t.co/R8NpTBycgq

https://t.co/KQt1gK591l

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

@elicitorg is a nifty new AI research tool.

And this query sits at the intersection of all my interests: machine learning + immunology + the outdoors.

It surprisingly failed to pick up https://t.co/LBmkTxsNx1 in its summary, which is the best review I've found on the topic.

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

Something I realized from reading @tomaspueyo's latest articles on generative AI: we are speeding towards arbitrary generation and transformation of text, sound, images, video, and even code.

2050 vs. 2000 will be drastic compared to 2000 vs. 1950

https://t.co/QTuSpGqgGX

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

Genuine question: how do you distinguish smoke + mirrors from smoke + fire? How can you tell what will turn out to be hype vs. history-making?

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

Yes, it is now possible for anyone to generate an arbitrary image of ~anything and ~anyone.

No, we have not yet figured out how to counter malevolent use of such tools.

The road to Utopia remains narrow and winding.

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

@StabilityAI released Stable Diffusion in August 2022. Now, <3 months later, @liuliu has it running on iPhone.

Generative AI is progressing ridiculously rapidly right now.

https://t.co/Wb44Od6x1Z

[Ky-Cuong Huynh @KyCodeHuynh]

As a back-up on Mastodon, I can now also be found at https://t.co/vWKtOV0nyH

[Patrick Collison @patrickc]

If you’d like to hire any of the wonderful former Stripe employees who are leaving, email [email protected]. We’ll let you know as soon as the directory is ready.