Ideas at the Limit: Following a Thought Until It Changes Shape
Alkemata’s new project dossiers take a modest idea, push it to its most consequential form, stress-test its effects, and work backwards towards a practical experiment.
Test the Policy Before It Tests the Public
Digital rules should face transparent synthetic cases, historical edge cases and community-designed scenarios before they change real entitlements or obligations.
Give the Caseworker a Map, Not a Score
Decision-support tools should show caseworkers evidence, provenance, gaps, uncertainty and lawful options—not compress a person into a recommendation score.
The Hearing That Should Stay in the Room
Remote hearings can widen access, but cases involving liberty, family life, confidential advice, coercion or vulnerable participation may still require a physical courtroom.
The Handoff Is the Legal-Tech Product
Legal self-help succeeds only when it transfers consented context and deadlines to the right human professional—not when it merely generates a form or referral link.
Frontier Engineering Often Fails at the Joint
Frontier components win headlines, but interfaces carry mismatched materials, loads and responsibilities. Reliability depends on making joints inspectable, testable and repairable.
Automate the Appeal Before You Automate the Decision
Automation saves little if one wrong decision forces a person through an opaque maze. Build notification, evidence, tracking and human review as one usable appeal journey.
Every Smart Device Needs a Real Manual Mode
A smart device should preserve essential local control when its app, account, internet connection or vendor disappears. Manual mode is infrastructure for agency and resilience.
The Parting of the AI Sea
This week’s note is exceptionally long, but for a critical reason: The GenAI Divide is not just an interesting trend; it is the absolute core of our present work and…
From Drone Racing to Racing From Drones
How Hobbyists Accidentally Fueled the Future of Warfare I remember watching the highlights from the Drone Racing League years ago. Pilots, hunched over their controllers, wearing bulky goggles that transported…