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2 months ago | 
csferrie.medium.com | Chris Ferrie
(Cursed titled, but hear me out.)Chris Ferrie·Follow7 min read·--Attention Conservation Notice: This is a rant. I’m overdue. I don’t recommend you read this unless you enjoy righteous indignation, bureaucratic absurdity, and the slow, crushing realization that we are all drowning in digital paperwork for no reason. If you’ve ever wanted to scream into the void about consent forms for mundane crap, this one’s for you. Let me paint you a picture.
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2 months ago | 
csferrie.medium.com | Chris Ferrie
Chris Ferrie·Follow7 min read·--You’re watching American TV, and an overproduced commercial informs you there’s a rare genetic condition preventing you from strolling through life surrounded by ridiculously attractive people frolicking through a lush park. While gleeful couples smile and breathe in vibrant, CGI-enhanced air, the ad insists you might be missing out on life because of this obscure ailment you never knew you had. Clearly, the only solution is to ask your doctor about Griftapril™.
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Jan 17, 2025 | 
csferrie.medium.com | Chris Ferrie
Chris Ferrie·Follow10 min read·--You are presented with three doors and know that behind one of the doors is a new car, while the other two reveal a goat. The host of this game, Monty Hall, instructs you to pick a door. You pick Door 1. Next, Monty opens Door 2, revealing one of the goats. He offers you the option to switch to Door 3 or remain with your chosen door. What should you do? The vast majority of people choose to stay for purely psychological reasons.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
csferrie.medium.com | Chris Ferrie
The hidden assumptions in a digital analogyChris Ferrie·Follow9 min read·--In recent years, a peculiar term once reserved for the realm of video games has seeped into cultural and pseudo-philosophical discussions — the NPC. Originally an acronym for Non-Player Character, this concept has migrated from its gaming roots into debates about free will, individual autonomy, critical thinking, and something to do with TikTok.
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Jan 11, 2025 | 
csferrie.medium.com | Chris Ferrie
125 years of quantum physics condensed into a calendar yearChris Ferrie·Follow20 min read·--This is a chronological list of significant milestones in quantum physics from 1900 to 1925.
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Jan 9, 2025 | 
csferrie.medium.com | Chris Ferrie
Demystifying the science of quantum physicsChris Ferrie·Follow6 min read·--TL;DRIn quantum physics, certain pairs of properties cannot be precisely known at the same time. In classical physics, everything is deterministic, and measurement limits are primarily technological. In quantum mechanics, however, there’s a fundamental limit — knowing one property more precisely makes another property less certain.
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Jan 7, 2025 | 
csferrie.medium.com | Chris Ferrie
Chris Ferrie·Follow5 min read·--The archetype of the lone genius — the individual who, against all odds, revolutionizes human understanding — has captivated us for centuries. Figures like Galileo, Newton, and Einstein have become cultural icons, often portrayed as solitary pioneers whose brilliance transcended the contributions of others.
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Dec 4, 2024 | 
csferrie.medium.com | Chris Ferrie
Chris Ferrie·Follow5 min read·--Wikipedia states, “The world’s most notable physicists met to discuss the newly formulated quantum theory.” Notice anything here? During a recent public lecture about communicating physics to children, I read one of my books — a whimsical story inspired by Schrödinger’s famous thought experiment called The Cat In The Box. During the question time, I was asked a particular question that has stayed with me.
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Nov 23, 2024 | 
csferrie.medium.com | Chris Ferrie
I had a bad idea. But I won’t tell you about a specific bad idea — I will tell you about all of them. I will generalize to a pattern that many ideas — bad and good — follow. I’m hoping that you — yes, you — will find this exercise helpful or interesting. If not, well, it wouldn’t be the first bad idea I’ve had. What’s an idea? By “idea,” I am implicitly talking about solutions to problems. For me, those are usually abstract concepts that require mathematical modeling to solve technical problems.
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Nov 19, 2024 | 
csferrie.medium.com | Chris Ferrie
Chris Ferrie·Follow4 min read·--Photo by Mons_PostremusI occasionally get some cruel and bitter criticism from an odd source. I’m putting my response here for two reasons:(1) so that I can simply refer them to it and not have to repeat myself or engage in the equally impersonal displeasure of internet arguments, and(2) I think there is something interesting to be learned about mathematics, logic, and knowledge more generally.
