The Weekly Weird - 2015-01-09

Augh, I'm late this week! That'll teach me to do actual work.

"Digital computers translate between these two forms of information—structure and sequence—according to definite rules. Bits that are embodied as structure (varying in space, invariant across time) we perceive as memory, and bits that are embodied as sequence (varying in time, invariant across space) we perceive as code. Gates are the intersections where bits span both worlds at the moments of transition" --George Dyson

• A good set of readings about CRDTs which are a totally clever end-run around the CAP theorum: http://christophermeiklejohn.com/crdt/2014/07/22/readings-in-crdts.html
• Metastable Failures or: how programmers invent new curse words: http://thenewstack.io/the-strange-behaviors-of-facebooks-metastable-failures/
• Robotentacles: http://www.jwz.org/blog/2015/01/today-in-robotentacle-news-4/
• Yep, you're going to have to stop making fun of TV shows saying "enhance": http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0083325&
• I've been dutifully reciting the words fed to me by an alien race via a neural input for years. http://www.wired.com/2014/09/cyranoid-experiment/
• Being cursed with deep knowledge of something you enjoy is a curse not even the greek gods would think of on a bad day: http://www.jasonporath.com/2014/12/the-rise-of-the-hashgag/
• Which web framework does /your/ favorite boy band use?: http://2015.djangocon.eu/news/boy-band-disrupts-djangocon-europe/