A paradox that rocks the foundations of scientific reasoning! — The raven paradox knocks at the door of one of the most fundamental aspects of science. At its core, it stems from the following question: “What is evidence?” Logician and philosopher Carl Gustav Hempel formulated a playful-sounding logic puzzle in the 1940s to demonstrate how this paradox occurs. …

Experienced folks told me not to do this! Yet, here I am. — I continued development with the backend today. In any web service, new users need to register. To achieve this, I set up a “register route” that validates user input (email, password, etc.). This sounds like mundane stuff, but it can get tricky. For instance, upon successful registration, the user receives…

This essay is strictly for educational purposes only!! — I maintain a notebook on financial arbitrage strategies. If this sounds like a weird hobby, it probably is. But I cannot help it. From my observation and experience, anyone who has ever consistently made money in the markets does this. It is one of those “we all do it, but…

Hashing, Salting, and the Battle Against Brute Force! — I’m starting work with the backend today. Boring stuff. But this forms the “core” of any web application. The core needs to be strong. How do I tackle the problem of responsibly and securely storing user passwords? The answer: I don’t store them (nor does any responsible web service provider). …

A story-based beginner’s introduction to fiat money! — When it comes to transactions of value, fiat money is the norm in today’s world. But it was not always like this. In fact, humanity’s collective transition to fiat money happened relatively recently. Why was fiat money not the norm in the past? And why is it the norm today…

From a silent room to unavoidable climate change! — Imagine that you are working in a silent room. You have been there for a while now, when suddenly, a colleague shows up and rings a loud bell. You are so overwhelmed by the sudden “noise” that you cover your ears to protect yourself. Now imagine a different scenario, where…

A recursive algorithm that lets you generate nature-like art! — Stepping deeper into my research on fractals, I’ve been captivated by the way simple rules can create complex and beautiful structures. Recently, I’ve constructed a fractal model that may seem familiar to you — the fractal tree. It mirrors the organic and intricate branching of a tree. The concept, while…

From tossing coins to the death of the universe! — After reading my essay on How To Use Entropy Like A Pro In Thermodynamics, reader and patron Mark Copenhaver requested me to address the subjective nature of entropy. This set me thinking, and I believe that I have some insights to offer on this topic. Let us start with the…

When someone tells me “Why don’t you do it THIS way”, this is how I respond! — I have been getting this a lot lately. Someone I know approaches me and tells me something along these lines: “Hey! I saw that you have been doing this and that. I know you are a clever guy, but I feel that you are missing the obvious. …