---
title: Blogroll
tldr: A curated list of blogs and sites I like
author: Samuel Vaiter
date: 2026-04-14
last-updated: 2026-04-18
status: in progress
---

A list of blog or site that I like, with a choice of two interesting articles (or series).

- Scott Aaronson [Shtetl-Optimizer](https://scottaaronson.blog) blog. #cs #academia #quantumcomputing #rationality

  - [Common Knowledge and Aumann’s Agreement Theorem](https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=2410) (2015). Starter pack on Aumann's theorem.
  - [Why I Am Not An Integrated Information Theorist (or, The Unconscious Expander)](https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=1799) (2014). Against bullshit.

- Kostas Anagnostou [Interplay Of Light](https://interplayoflight.wordpress.com/). #graphics

  - [How To Read Shader Assembly](https://interplayoflight.wordpress.com/2021/04/18/how-to-read-shader-assembly/) (2021). Short tutorial on gpu asm.
  - [How Unreal Renders A Frame](https://interplayoflight.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/how-unreal-renders-a-frame/#more-766) series (2017).

- Jeff Atwood [coding horror](https://blog.codinghorror.com/) blog. #softwareengineering

  - [The Multitasking Myth](https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-multi-tasking-myth/) (2006). Yep, it's a myth.
  - [Thanks For Ruining Another Game Forever, Computers](https://blog.codinghorror.com/thanks-for-ruining-another-game-forever-computers/) (2016). "dolphins will always swim faster than we do."

- John Carlos Baez's [Azimuth](https://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com). mathematical physics. #math #academia

  - [A Characterization of Entropy](https://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/a-characterization-of-entropy/) (2011). One of the first(?) blogpost on entropy by Baez, leading to this [nice book](https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.09232).
  - [Agent-Based Models](https://johncarlosbaez.wordpress.com/2023/07/06/agent-based-models-part-1/) (2023-2024) series.

- Clément Bœsch pkh [blog](https://blog.pkh.me). #graphics

  - [Code golfing a tiny demo using maths and a pinch of insanity](https://blog.pkh.me/p/45-code-golfing-a-tiny-demo-using-maths-and-a-pinch-of-insanity.html) (2025). Going from an explanation of a render to the obfuscated version.
  - [A series of tricks and techniques I learned doing tiny GLSL demos](https://blog.pkh.me/p/48-a-series-of-tricks-and-techniques-i-learned-doing-tiny-glsl-demos.html) (2025). A follow up on specific tricks

- [Fernando Borretti](https://borretti.me/article/). #rust

  - [You Can Choose Tools That Make You Happy](https://borretti.me/article/you-can-choose-tools-that-make-you-happy) (2025). An argument to still use Emacs 😅
  - [Unbundling Tools for Thought](https://borretti.me/article/unbundling-tools-for-thought) (2022). Don't use a centralized tool.

- [Nicholas Carlini](https://nicholas.carlini.com). #cs #academia #safety #security

  - [Why I attack](https://nicholas.carlini.com/writing/2024/why-i-attack.html) (2024). Why you can chose your research topic.
  - [A ChatGPT clone, in 3000 bytes of C, backed by GPT-2](https://nicholas.carlini.com/writing/2023/chat-gpt-2-in-c.html) (2023). An obfuscation exercice.

- Djalil Chafaï [Libres pensées d'un mathématicien ordinaire](https://djalil.chafai.net/blog/). #math #academia

  - [Tutorial on large deviation principles](https://djalil.chafai.net/blog/2018/03/09/tutorial-on-large-deviation-principles/) (2018).
  - [A propos de Bourbaki](https://djalil.chafai.net/blog/2023/02/18/a-propos-de-bourbaki/) (2023. fr). A short history of Nicolas Bourbaki.

- Matthäus Chajdas [Anteru's blog](https://anteru.net). #graphics

  - [Introduction to compute shaders](https://anteru.net/blog/2018/intro-to-compute-shaders/) series (2018).
  - [Effective meetings](https://anteru.net/blog/2022/effective-meetings/) (2022). "cancel meetings which will not result in immediate action."

- [Karthik Chikmagalur](https://karthinks.com). #emacs

  - [avy can do anything](https://karthinks.com/software/avy-can-do-anything/) (2021). the best tutorial on avy.
  - [The emacs window management almanac](https://karthinks.com/software/emacs-window-management-almanac/) (2024). explanation on window management works.

- Bartosz Ciechanowski [visualizations](https://ciechanow.ski). #explorables

  - [Mechanical watches](https://ciechanow.ski/mechanical-watch/) (2022). I had **no** idea as a profane on the topic.
  - [Airfoil](https://ciechanow.ski/airfoil/) (2024). Fluid dynamics without fluid dynamics.

- [Dynomight blog](https://dynomight.net). Various topics: AI, writing, some lists. #ai

  - [Creative nonfiction training exercises](https://dynomight.net/training/) (2022). Ideas of generic writings that *may* interest others, or not.
  - [DumPy: NumPy except it's OK if you're dum](https://dynomight.net/dumpy/) (2025). Numpy for GPUs from scratch

- [Julia Evans](https://jvns.ca). #system #webcomics.

  - [How to ask good questions](https://jvns.ca/blog/good-questions/) (2016).
  - [How gzip uses Huffman coding](https://jvns.ca/blog/2015/02/22/how-gzip-uses-huffman-coding/) (2015).

- [Gwern](https://gwern.net/). ✨ #ai #rationality

  - [The Scaling Hypothesis](https://gwern.net/scaling-hypothesis) (2020-2022). Bigger is better before it is obvious.
  - [Spaced Repetition for Efficient Learning](https://gwern.net/spaced-repetition) (2009-2019). Litterature review on the impact of spaced repetition.

- [Matt Keeter](https://www.mattkeeter.com/blog/). #graphics #system

  - [A Neat XOR Trick](https://www.mattkeeter.com/blog/2022-12-10-xor/) (2022). Fun solution to AoC 2022, day 6.
  - [Project writeup for Raven](https://www.mattkeeter.com/projects/raven/) (2024-2026). A Uxn implementation.

- Oleg Kiselyov's [okmij.org](https://okmij.org/ftp/). #cs #plt

  - [Safe and Efficient, Now](http://okmij.org/ftp/Computation/lightweight-dependent-typing.html) (2007-2021). About static typing.
  - [A dream of an ultimate OS](https://okmij.org/ftp/papers/DreamOSPaper.html) (1996). An OS as database.

- Jeremy Kun [Math ∩ Programming](https://www.jeremykun.com/). #math #academia

  - [My Graduate Career in Math](https://www.jeremykun.com/2025/05/12/my-graduate-career-in-math/) (2016). A postmortem on grad school.
  - [Bezier Curves and Picasso](https://www.jeremykun.com/2013/05/11/bezier-curves-and-picasso/) (2013). A nice primer on Bezier.

- Dick Lipton [Gödel's Lost Letter and P=NP](https://rjlipton.com). #cs #academia

  - [Galactic Algorithms](https://rjlipton.com/2010/10/23/galactic-algorithms/) (2010). Optimal algoritms never used in practice.
  - [Can We Translate English To English?](https://rjlipton.com/2010/11/12/can-we-translate-english-to-english/) (2010). update '26: yes, we can :)

- [Dan Luu](https://danluu.com). #softwareengineering.

  - [Why is it so hard to buy things that work well?](https://danluu.com/nothing-works/) (2022). building over buying
  - [Terminal latency](https://danluu.com/term-latency/) (2017). `eshell` is slow.

- [Bertrand Meyer](https://bertrandmeyer.com/). #softwareengineering.

  - [“I don’t have time for administration”](https://bertrandmeyer.com/2025/02/03/dont-time-administration/) (2025). On the importance of being involved in administrative duties at universities.
  - [One cheer for incremental research](https://bertrandmeyer.com/2009/08/10/one-cheer-for-incremental-research/) (2009). Against the hype of "breakthrough" research.

- [Matt Might](https://matt.might.net/articles/). #cs #academia

  - [The illustrated guide to a Ph.D.](http://matt.might.net/articles/phd-school-in-pictures/) (????). The circle metaphor.
  - [Compiling to lambda-calculus: Turtles all the way down](https://matt.might.net/articles/compiling-up-to-lambda-calculus/). The 2mn intro to λ-calculus.

- Randall Munroe [xkcd](https://xkcd.com). Hard to limit myself on two ... ✨ #webcomics

  - [Standards](https://xkcd.com/927/) (2011). on [explain xkcd](https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/927:_Standards) but this one is quite obvious
  - [Duty Calls](https://xkcd.com/386/) (2008). on [explain xkcd](https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/386:_Duty_Calls)

- Bob Nystrom's [Stuff with Stuff](https://journal.stuffwithstuff.com/). #cs #plt

  - [Crafting “Crafting Interpreters”](https://journal.stuffwithstuff.com/2020/04/05/crafting-crafting-interpreters/) (2020). writing a book is long.
  - [The Value of Things](https://journal.stuffwithstuff.com/2026/01/24/the-value-of-things/) (2026). doing with a meaning.

- Angelo Pesce's [c0de517e](https://www.c0de517e.com). #graphics

  - [Learning to differentiably rasterize](https://www.c0de517e.com/019_autoinigo.htm) (2025). Intro to differentiable rasterizing.
  - [Shit people say: graphics have "peaked"](https://c0de517e.blogspot.com/2013/12/shit-people-say-graphics-have-peaked.html) (2013).

- Christoph Peters [Moments in Graphics](https://momentsingraphics.de). #graphics

  - [Spectral rendering](https://momentsingraphics.de/SpectralRenderingOverview.html) series (2025).
  - [My toy renderer](https://momentsingraphics.de/ToyRendererOverview.html) series (2021-2022).

- [Matt Pharr](https://pharr.org/matt/blog/). One of the author of PBRT. #graphics

  - [Swallowing the elephant](https://pharr.org/matt/blog/2018/07/16/moana-island-pbrt-all) series (2018-2021). How to render *Moana* scene?
  - [Sampling in Floating Point](https://pharr.org/matt/blog/2022/03/05/sampling-fp-unit-interval) series (2022-?). Ongoing (?) series on sampling.

- [Aras Pranckevičius](https://aras-p.info). #graphics

  - [Gaussian Splatting is pretty cool!](https://aras-p.info/blog/2023/09/05/Gaussian-Splatting-is-pretty-cool/) (2023). cool intro to 3DGS.
  - [Daily Pathtracer](https://aras-p.info/blog/2018/03/28/Daily-Pathtracer-Part-0-Intro/) series (2018). An intro to path tracing.

- Amit Patel [blog](https://www.redblobgames.com/blog/) from [Red Blob Games](https://www.redblobgames.com) (amazing site on gamedev).✨ #gamedev #emacs #explorables

  - [Little Design Things](https://www.redblobgames.com/making-of/little-things/) (2019). Making of redblobgames.
  - [Introduction to the A\* Algorithm](https://www.redblobgames.com/pathfinding/a-star/introduction.html) (2014-2023). The famous tutorial on A\*.

- Bastien Rieck [blog](https://bastian.rieck.me/blog/). #ml

  - [A visual introduction to Morse theory](https://bastian.rieck.me/blog/2019/morse_theory/) (2019). Nice visuals.
  - [What is (Gaussian) curvature?](https://bastian.rieck.me/blog/2019/curvature/) (2019).

- [Fabien Sanglard](https://fabiensanglard.net). #retrocomputing

  - [Building a Quake PC](https://fabiensanglard.net/quake_pc/) series (2026). An ode to the hardware when I was a teenager.
  - [Duke Nukem 3D code review](https://fabiensanglard.net/duke3d/index.php) series (2013). One of the early code review by Sanglard.

- [Adam Sawicki](https://asawicki.info). #graphics

  - [Graphics APIs – Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow](https://asawicki.info/articles/graphics_apis_yesterday_today_tomorrow_en.php) (2025). An history of graphics API.
  - [Thoughts on graphics APIs and libraries](https://asawicki.info/news_1701_thoughts_on_graphics_apis_and_libraries) (2019). Modern APIs are too low level but not enough.

- Senia Sheydvasser's [The Deranged Mathematician](https://derangedmathematician.substack.com). #math

  - [Behind the Scenes of the Hairy Ball Theorem Video](https://derangedmathematician.substack.com/p/behind-the-scenes-of-the-hairy-ball) (2026). Postmortem on the video with 3b1b.
  - [Chrono Trigger and the Hairy Ball Theorem](https://derangedmathematician.substack.com/p/chrono-trigger-and-the-hairy-ball) (2026). Why RPG are played on tori.

- Terence Tao's [What's New](https://terrytao.wordpress.com). #math #academia

  - [Career advice](https://terrytao.wordpress.com/career-advice/). A lot of obvious and non-obvious advices.
  - [245A, Notes 5: Differentiation theorems](https://terrytao.wordpress.com/2010/10/16/245a-notes-5-differentiation-theorems/) (2011). So you want to differentiate this integral?

- [Giles Thomas](https://www.gilesthomas.com). #ml
  - [Writing an LLM from scratch](https://www.gilesthomas.com/2024/12/llm-from-scratch-1) series (2024-2026). Following [Build a Large Language Model (from Scratch)](https://www.manning.com/books/build-a-large-language-model-from-scratch) by Sebastian Raschka.

- Tim Urban's [Wait but Why?](https://waitbutwhy.com). dunno if it "technically" a webcomic but whatever. #webcomics

  - [Your Life in Weeks](https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/life-weeks.html) (2014). Cold.
  - [Why Procrastinators Procrastinate](https://waitbutwhy.com/2013/10/why-procrastinators-procrastinate.html) series (2013-2015). My first contact with waitbutwhy.

- Chris Wellons' [null program](https://nullprogram.com/). #emacs #softwareengineering

  - [2026 has been the most pivotal year in my career… and it's only March](https://nullprogram.com/blog/2026/03/29/) (2026).
  - [A GPU Approach to Path Finding](https://nullprogram.com/blog/2014/06/22/) (2014). // version of pathfinding.

- [Bart Wronski](https://bartwronski.com). #graphics.

  - [Dithering in games](https://bartwronski.com/2016/10/30/dithering-in-games-mini-series/) (2016-2022). From 1D to progressive blue noise.
  - [Insider guide to tech interviews](https://bartwronski.com/2022/01/04/insider-guide-to-tech-interviews/) (2022).

- [Edward Z. Yang](https://blog.ezyang.com) blog. #cs #system

  - [PyTorch internals](https://blog.ezyang.com/2019/05/pytorch-internals/) (2019). Visual explanations.
  - [Thoughts on gamifying textbooks](https://blog.ezyang.com/2012/05/thoughts-on-gamifying-textbooks/) (2012). "Against" gamifycation

- Jamie Zawinski [jwz](https://www.jwz.org/blog/) blog. #technology

  - [resignation and postmortem](https://www.jwz.org/gruntle/nomo.html) (1999). Technically not on the blog. Resignation from Netscape.
  - [Groupware Bad](https://www.jwz.org/doc/groupware.html) (2005). A pre-facebook-era about decentralization.