This page provides an overview of the 'Missing Semester' course, focusing on the importance of the shell as a powerful tool for computer scientists. It covers motivation, class structure, the basics of navigating and using the shell, and exercises to reinforce learning. The course aims to equip students with practical skills beyond rote memorization of commands, enabling them to automate tasks and solve complex problems efficiently.
A new MIT study reveals a significant lack of transparency and safety measures in agentic AI systems, with many offering no disclosure about risks or ways to shut down rogue bots.
A look at Roger Zelazny's 'Lord of Light,' a science fiction novel blending Hindu mythology with futuristic technology, and its intriguing history, including alleged CIA interest and attempts to suppress its distribution. The article details the book's unique premise, its influence on other works, and the reasons behind the CIA's reported concerns.
A paraphrasing of Gerald Jay Sussman's explanation for MIT's switch from Scheme to Python in its undergraduate computer science program, focusing on the changing nature of programming and the need to adapt to modern systems and libraries.
Python implementation of Recursive Language Models for processing unbounded context lengths. Process 100k+ tokens with any LLM by storing context as variables instead of prompts.
Researchers at MIT’s CSAIL are charting a more "modular" path ahead for software development, breaking systems into "concepts" and "synchronizations" to make code clearer, safer, and easier for LLMs to generate.
MIT researchers are proposing a new software development approach centered around "concepts" and "synchronizations" to address issues of complexity, safety, and LLM compatibility in modern software.
Concepts are self-contained units of functionality (like "sharing" or "liking") with their own state and actions, whereas synchronizations are explicit rules defining how these concepts interact, expressed in a simple, LLM-friendly language.
The benefits include ncreased modularity, transparency, easier understanding for both humans and AI, improved safety, and potential for automated software development. Real-world application: has been demonstrated by successfully restructuring features (liking, commenting, sharing) to be more modular and legible.
Future includes concept catalogs, a shift in software architecture, and improved collaboration through shared, well-tested concepts.
MIT researchers are proposing a new software development approach centered around "concepts" and "synchronizations" to address issues of complexity, safety, and LLM compatibility in modern software.
Concepts are self-contained units of functionality (like "sharing" or "liking") with their own state and actions, whereas synchronizations are explicit rules defining how these concepts interact, expressed in a simple, LLM-friendly language.
The benefits include ncreased modularity, transparency, easier understanding for both humans and AI, improved safety, and potential for automated software development. Real-world application: has been demonstrated by successfully restructuring features (liking, commenting, sharing) to be more modular and legible.
Future includes concept catalogs, a shift in software architecture, and improved collaboration through shared, well-tested concepts.
Learn about interactive fiction and the Z-Machine with this guide, covering history, tooling, and creating your own text adventure game.
A discussion about finding pictures of ITS machines, with users sharing links to images and information about PDP-6 and PDP-10 systems.
- Raph Levien, who is an expert in Rust and rendering on GPUs, who founded Advogato, and who designed Inconsolata, a great monospace font. His talk's title is *I Want a Good Parallel Language*.
- Jeff Shrager will give a talk on reviving early AI programs like ELIZA and IPL-V. His talk's title is *RetroAI: Reanimating the Earliest AIs in the Lost Languages that Predated Lisp*.
- Jeff Shrager will give a talk on reviving early AI programs like ELIZA and IPL-V. His talk's title is *RetroAI: Reanimating the Earliest AIs in the Lost Languages that Predated Lisp*.
An article detailing the history of LISP machines and the SCHEME-78 microprocessor, designed to closely match the LISP language, developed by Guy L. Steele and Gerald Jay Sussman. It discusses the motivations behind creating dedicated LISP hardware, its eventual decline, and its relevance to modern AI hardware.
