December 2025 moment
Like Summer of '67 or 1848. You're here at the beginning.
English is the new code
We kept building higher abstractions. We got to the top.
GUIs are going away
AI handles natural language, translates to database talk.
Chainsaw metaphor
Powerful and fast. Can also cut your leg off.
Harder than normal coding
Think more, not less. Cognitive load shifts from syntax to strategy.
Claude in a loop
Have it view its own work via browser — that's when the magic happens.
Memento metaphor
Memory clears each session; documentation is like the tattoos.
Models do the minimum
Watch for shortcuts you don't want — just ask it to fix them.
Touch grass
Downtime while Claude thinks. Run parallel tasks — or go outside.
Vibe coding tools
Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, ChatGPT, Copilot.
OpenAlex data note
Affiliation bug affecting last 2 years — we're fixing it.
Hallucinations
Less common now. Open data = receipts. Always link back to source.
Environmental impact
Compare to baseline. Using a computer takes water and electricity too.
Data sovereignty
Where does data go? Alternatives: Mistral, open source, local models.