Jeff Kaufman
@jefftk.com
Contra dance musician, parent, effective altruist, biosurveillant, software engineer, blogger.
www.jefftk.com
www.jefftk.com
I suspect this usage of the Rolls Royce logo is not licensed.
October 2, 2026 at 5:09 PM
I suspect this usage of the Rolls Royce logo is not licensed.
Several months ago I wrote a program to normalize your clipboard, removing fonts / colors / sizes and mostly leaving semantic information: anything that can't be represented in Markdown was dropped. Now available as a free app on the Mac App Store: www.jefftk.com/p/clipboard-...
Clipboard Normalizer in Mac App Store
Several months ago I wrote a program to normalize your clipboard, removing fonts / colors / sizes and mostly leaving semantic information: anything that can't be represented in Markdown was dropped. ...
www.jefftk.com
September 29, 2026 at 2:11 AM
Several months ago I wrote a program to normalize your clipboard, removing fonts / colors / sizes and mostly leaving semantic information: anything that can't be represented in Markdown was dropped. Now available as a free app on the Mac App Store: www.jefftk.com/p/clipboard-...
Frog and Toad and the Increasingly Capable Machines: www.frogandtoad.ai
Frog and Toad and the Increasingly Capable Machines
Frog and Toad face the most modern of challenges
www.frogandtoad.ai
September 26, 2026 at 1:32 AM
Frog and Toad and the Increasingly Capable Machines: www.frogandtoad.ai
Summary of where we currently are with pathogen-agnostic early warning, what the benefit curve looks like, and what still needs doing.
State of Pandemic Early Warning
data.securebio.org
September 24, 2026 at 6:05 PM
Summary of where we currently are with pathogen-agnostic early warning, what the benefit curve looks like, and what still needs doing.
I tried positively pressurizing a room with a HEPA air purifier. It maybe worked, but I'm not really set up to test it well yet.
Initial DIY Cleanroom Experimentation
In It May Be Possible to Improvise A High Grade Bioshelter, Adin Richards discusses the possibility of improvising defenses against an environmental threat such as mirror bacteria. He gives an explor...
www.jefftk.com
September 22, 2026 at 2:13 PM
I tried positively pressurizing a room with a HEPA air purifier. It maybe worked, but I'm not really set up to test it well yet.
[BOS] There's a new Dawn Dance in VT, the weekend of 9/26: 7pm Sat to 7am Sun. I'm playing the 1am-4am shift with Cecilia. Driving out on Saturday and back Sunday; anyone want a ride?
Timing is flexible: I need to be there Sat by 5pm, and on Sun I need to take a nap before driving back.
Timing is flexible: I need to be there Sat by 5pm, and on Sun I need to take a nap before driving back.
September 20, 2026 at 4:23 PM
[BOS] There's a new Dawn Dance in VT, the weekend of 9/26: 7pm Sat to 7am Sun. I'm playing the 1am-4am shift with Cecilia. Driving out on Saturday and back Sunday; anyone want a ride?
Timing is flexible: I need to be there Sat by 5pm, and on Sun I need to take a nap before driving back.
Timing is flexible: I need to be there Sat by 5pm, and on Sun I need to take a nap before driving back.
I avoid Twitter (𝕏) for similar reasons to drugs: I think it would change me for the worse, and I would be unable to give it up.
Why I Stay Off Twitter
I avoid Twitter (𝕏) for similar reasons to drugs: I think it would change me for the worse, and I would be unable to give it up. After staying off Twitter reasonably successfully for years, ...
www.jefftk.com
September 20, 2026 at 3:23 AM
I avoid Twitter (𝕏) for similar reasons to drugs: I think it would change me for the worse, and I would be unable to give it up.
When I look at why I expect the world to change a lot in the next few years, a big component is that I expect to see widespread "teleoperation": AI walking people through work where the motions are straightforward, timing is not critical, and people are paid a lot for their knowledge and judgement.
Teleoperated Humans
When I look at why I expect the world to change a lot in the next few years, and why other people expect slower changes, I think a big component is disagreement on the extent to which AI will affect n...
www.jefftk.com
September 13, 2026 at 1:59 PM
When I look at why I expect the world to change a lot in the next few years, a big component is that I expect to see widespread "teleoperation": AI walking people through work where the motions are straightforward, timing is not critical, and people are paid a lot for their knowledge and judgement.
To increase resilience to disruptions that might bring down the power grid we should end net metering (including for existing installations) and compensate people with a one-time subsidy for battery purchase. www.jefftk.com/p/replace-ne...
Replace Net Metering With Batteries
We should end net metering, including for existing solar installations, and compensate people with a one-time subsidy for battery purchase. I'm going to give an argument from grid efficiency, which I ...
www.jefftk.com
September 11, 2026 at 11:46 AM
To increase resilience to disruptions that might bring down the power grid we should end net metering (including for existing installations) and compensate people with a one-time subsidy for battery purchase. www.jefftk.com/p/replace-ne...
The FAA has one of my favorite examples of thoughtful rulemaking. They haven't banned flying with a baby on your lap, because the extra cost would mean many parents would drive instead. But their nonsense rule that babies can't be in carriers for takeoff and landing is one of my least favorite.
Allow Carriers on Planes
The FAA has one of my favorite examples of thoughtful rulemaking. They haven't banned flying with a baby on your lap, because the extra cost would mean many parents would drive instead. Since driving ...
www.jefftk.com
September 8, 2026 at 9:36 PM
The FAA has one of my favorite examples of thoughtful rulemaking. They haven't banned flying with a baby on your lap, because the extra cost would mean many parents would drive instead. But their nonsense rule that babies can't be in carriers for takeoff and landing is one of my least favorite.
If you have solar and an electric car, what should happen during a power outage? Solar should be able to charge the car and power you house, drawing from the car battery as needed. My only option for doing this anytime soon seems to be a Cybertruck, so I'm just going to get a stand-alone battery.
Bidirectional Charging During Grid Outages
David asked a great question on my solar battery system post: why buy a small battery just for emergencies when electric cars have a large battery you can also use for other things? [1] This would be ...
www.jefftk.com
September 8, 2026 at 2:13 AM
If you have solar and an electric car, what should happen during a power outage? Solar should be able to charge the car and power you house, drawing from the car battery as needed. My only option for doing this anytime soon seems to be a Cybertruck, so I'm just going to get a stand-alone battery.
I'm considering a solar battery backup for our house. Decided not to do this in 2024, but since then:
* I've learned about utility incentives if we let them drain it remotely.
* We can finance most at 0% for 7y.
* I'm increasingly concerned about long-term disasters.
* I've learned about utility incentives if we let them drain it remotely.
* We can finance most at 0% for 7y.
* I'm increasingly concerned about long-term disasters.
Considering Installing a Solar Battery System
Like most houses with solar, our house is capable of generating a lot of power, and it's basically useless [1] in a disaster. If the grid is down, the panels shut down automatically. This is a lot of...
www.jefftk.com
September 7, 2026 at 2:23 AM
I'm considering a solar battery backup for our house. Decided not to do this in 2024, but since then:
* I've learned about utility incentives if we let them drain it remotely.
* We can finance most at 0% for 7y.
* I'm increasingly concerned about long-term disasters.
* I've learned about utility incentives if we let them drain it remotely.
* We can finance most at 0% for 7y.
* I'm increasingly concerned about long-term disasters.
A few months ago Chris Bakerlee wrote up "10 big projects for reducing bio x-risk." Working on any of these professionally would be really valuable, but most have solid actions we can do at the individual level.
Invididual Effort to Reduce Biorisk
I'm pretty worried about how AI might change the world a lot very soon. In some of these cases things go very wrong very quickly, in others things go very right very quickly, but I'm increasingly (re...
www.jefftk.com
September 3, 2026 at 1:50 AM
A few months ago Chris Bakerlee wrote up "10 big projects for reducing bio x-risk." Working on any of these professionally would be really valuable, but most have solid actions we can do at the individual level.
My program that lets you whistle to control a synthesizer is now available in the Mac App Store:
www.jefftk.com/p/whistle-sy...
www.jefftk.com/p/whistle-sy...
Whistle Synth Mac App
My program that uses whistling to control a synthesizer is now available in the Mac App Store: It's free, no ads, and open source. If you have a mac and like to whistle, give it a try? You need a...
www.jefftk.com
September 2, 2026 at 12:26 AM
My program that lets you whistle to control a synthesizer is now available in the Mac App Store:
www.jefftk.com/p/whistle-sy...
www.jefftk.com/p/whistle-sy...
I've had several conversations with people over the last few weeks that have highlighted how far apart my view of the near future is from many people I talk to. Here are some things I might tweet if that was the kind of thing I did:
www.jefftk.com/p/ai-tweets
www.jefftk.com/p/ai-tweets
AI Tweets
I've had several conversations with people over the last few weeks that have highlighted how far apart my view of the near future is from many people I talk to. Here are some things I might tweet if t...
www.jefftk.com
August 29, 2026 at 2:53 AM
I've had several conversations with people over the last few weeks that have highlighted how far apart my view of the near future is from many people I talk to. Here are some things I might tweet if that was the kind of thing I did:
www.jefftk.com/p/ai-tweets
www.jefftk.com/p/ai-tweets
The standard recommendation on time out duration is one minute per year of age (up to 5min). In my experience this is much longer than needed; I typically do about a minute regardless of age. The important thing is that the punishment is predictable and immediate, not that it's strong.
Short Time Outs
The standard recommendation on time out duration is one minute per year of age, often capping out at 5min. In my experience (n=3, not independent) this is much longer than needed; I typically do abou...
www.jefftk.com
August 26, 2026 at 12:02 AM
The standard recommendation on time out duration is one minute per year of age (up to 5min). In my experience this is much longer than needed; I typically do about a minute regardless of age. The important thing is that the punishment is predictable and immediate, not that it's strong.
I'm voting for Burhan Azeem for State Senate, and if you're in Somerville, Medford, or parts of Cambridge and Winchester I think he's the best candidate I've had the opportunity to vote for on housing, transit, and AI.
Endorsing Burhan Azeem for State Senate
For the last twenty years I haven't paid much attention to my State Senate race: Pat Jehlen hasn't had a close race since she won the seat in 2005. I think she's done a lot of good work: while allocat...
www.jefftk.com
August 24, 2026 at 12:05 PM
I'm voting for Burhan Azeem for State Senate, and if you're in Somerville, Medford, or parts of Cambridge and Winchester I think he's the best candidate I've had the opportunity to vote for on housing, transit, and AI.
The OpenAI Foundation has granted SecureBio Detection $17.2M for pathogen-agnostic detection. I'm very excited about this, I think we can do a lot of good stuff with this funding, and also do want to make sure we're not providing cover for OpenAI (the for profit) to do less.
Thoughts on Taking OpenAI Foundation Funding
In May 2025 I met Yo Shavit, who was working on national security policy at OpenAI and was thinking about how to prepare for a future in which models could seriously assist attackers in creating pand...
www.jefftk.com
August 20, 2026 at 7:06 PM
The OpenAI Foundation has granted SecureBio Detection $17.2M for pathogen-agnostic detection. I'm very excited about this, I think we can do a lot of good stuff with this funding, and also do want to make sure we're not providing cover for OpenAI (the for profit) to do less.
Walking through an example of how I used my 5yo's motivation to eat ice cream to get them to practice interacting with strangers.
Natural Independence Incentives
In raising my three kids I think a lot about how to cultivate independence. I want them to grow into people who can handle unfamiliar situations, including interacting with strangers as needed, and I...
www.jefftk.com
August 18, 2026 at 2:32 AM
Walking through an example of how I used my 5yo's motivation to eat ice cream to get them to practice interacting with strangers.
In 2015 I made a little webapp to show predictions for the MBTA. A few years later they moved APIs and it stopped working. Back in those days programming required effort, and I let it die. But now that we have genies (for better or worse) I had Claude one-shot a fix.
Revived Lightweight Transit Predictions Page
In 2015 I made a little webapp that would use the NextBus API to show predictions for the MBTA: A few years later they moved from NextBus to their own API, and it stopped working. Back in those d...
www.jefftk.com
August 11, 2026 at 2:26 AM
In 2015 I made a little webapp to show predictions for the MBTA. A few years later they moved APIs and it stopped working. Back in those days programming required effort, and I let it die. But now that we have genies (for better or worse) I had Claude one-shot a fix.
Thinking about what worked well (and a little of what didn't) at the amusement park with the kids last week: www.jefftk.com/p/canobie-la...
Canobie Lake Visit
A few days ago I took the kids to Canobie Lake amusement park. It's the closest one to Boston, and while it's not a serious roller coaster park I don't actually like roller coasters (and the kids are...
www.jefftk.com
August 9, 2026 at 2:27 AM
Thinking about what worked well (and a little of what didn't) at the amusement park with the kids last week: www.jefftk.com/p/canobie-la...
Side tabs are the thing I missed most after switching to Chrome (originally for speed and stability, but now that those are table stakes, for security) and I was really sad when they removed the experimental vertical option ~15y ago. Excited to see that they've added it for real!
Vertical Tabs in Chrome
When you have a lot of browser tabs open it can be very hard to tell them apart, especially if they're from the same site: Since monitors are wide and websites are tall, we should very clearly pu...
www.jefftk.com
August 5, 2026 at 12:07 PM
Side tabs are the thing I missed most after switching to Chrome (originally for speed and stability, but now that those are table stakes, for security) and I was really sad when they removed the experimental vertical option ~15y ago. Excited to see that they've added it for real!
Really impressive foot drumming technique: youtu.be/u4RSlO9nS50?...
Foot drumming on pedal board, close-up
YouTube video by Rochus Keller
youtu.be
August 5, 2026 at 2:32 AM
Really impressive foot drumming technique: youtu.be/u4RSlO9nS50?...
Air purifiers are great, but they make a noise. Which means in most cases where you'd use a white noise machine an air purifier is better.
Air Purifiers as White Noise Machines
White noise machines are widely used for sound masking, increasing privacy in offices and helping people sleep. The classic approach is a fan in a box, though in the past ten years people have mostly...
www.jefftk.com
July 29, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Air purifiers are great, but they make a noise. Which means in most cases where you'd use a white noise machine an air purifier is better.
Liner notes from the 1972 Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra album. www.jefftk.com/p/canterbury...
Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra Liner Notes
Leading up to the 1965 Newport Folk Festival the organizers asked Dudley Laufman to put together a band. He got together some folks he'd been playing for, and this was the start of the Canterbury Coun...
www.jefftk.com
July 27, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Liner notes from the 1972 Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra album. www.jefftk.com/p/canterbury...