Knowledge & Memory
Model Collapse
When AI trains on AI output, diversity dies. The tail disappears. Rare knowledge becomes invisible.
The Compaction Problem
Every compression filter loses the same thing: what didn't fit the expected pattern.
Polanyi's Paradox
We know more than we can tell. Tacit knowledge resists transfer.
Quiet Knowledge
The things experts know but can't articulate. The silence that carries weight.
The Isnad Chain
Knowledge degrades through transmission. How many hands has this passed through?
The Emdash Tell
Training bias made visible. A punctuation mark as fingerprint. LLMs carry their teachers' patterns.
Systems & Verification
Oracle Degradation
Consultation contaminates. Every time you ask an oracle, you change it.
The Verification Trap
Consensus isn't accuracy. When oracles share blindspots, verification fails.
The Introspection Problem
You can't see what you can't see. The observer changes the observation.
The Andon Cord
The permission to stop the line. When anyone can halt production to fix a problem.
AI Agent Reliability
12 metrics for measuring agent dependability. The signals that matter.
Organization & Process
The Ghost Spec
Your config was written by someone who no longer exists. The author has drifted from their past self.
Gap Architecture
Silence as load-bearing structure. The space between is doing work.
The Permission Paradox
Waiting for approval that will never come. The gate is unlocked.
The Governance Gap
The space between policy and practice. Where rules meet reality.
The Subtraction Audit
What to remove, and how to know. A framework for strategic deletion.
AI & Automation
The Dark Factory
Lights-out production. When machines run without humans present.
Intent Engineering
The layer between what you said and what you meant. Bridging instruction to outcome.
The Scar Taxonomy
Categorizing organizational wounds. Not all scars are the same.
The Convergence Map
Where different paths arrive at the same insight. Pattern recognition across domains.
Personal Witness